Sagina nodosa (L.) Fenzl
Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)
 
TAXONOMY
 
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Sagina
 
Species Synonyms: none
Common Names: knotted pearlwort
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: Mackenzie District - Keewatin District - Ungava - Labrador - southern Baffin Island, south to northeastern Alberta, to northwestern Saskatchewan - Manitoba - Ontario - Nova Scotia - Newfoundland
Saskatchewan: northwestern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca - Amisk Lake
Ecoregion: Churchill River Upland, Athabasca Plain, Tazin Lake Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: wet, sandy or rocky lake shores
Associated species: Hypericum majus, Picea glauca, Ranunculus flammula var. filiformis
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Threatened
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 N2 S2
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Sagina nodosa is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and is regionally restricted to one general area of the province. Most local populations are small. No threats are known or anticipated at this time.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 5 – 25 cm
Roots: fibrous
Stems: perennial, tufted, ascending to loosely spreading, simple or branched, very thin, to 1 mm wide, glabrous, may be pubescent at nodes
Leaves: opposite, sessile, 1 – 3 cm long, to 1 mm wide; middle and upper leaves strongly reduced and scale-like, subtending dense axillary bulb-like clusters of 4 fleshy leaflets, bulb-like clusters often replace flowers; lower leaves filiform
Inflorescence: cyme many-flowered; pedicels glabrous or pubescent
Flowers: 2 – 4 mm broad; calyx pentamerous, tips frequently purplish, glabrous or glandular; corolla pentamerous, about twice as long as calyx, 3 – 5 mm long, white; stamens 10 or 8
Fruits: capsule 3 – 4 mm long, valves thick, persistent sepals appressed; seeds dark brown or blackish, strongly pebbled-rugose, distinct notch at hilum
 
KEY TO SAGINA IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Upper leaves with bulb-like axillary clusters (fascicles); corolla approximately twice as long as calyx; seeds dark brown or blackish
S. nodosa
1 Upper leaves without bulb-like axillary clusters; corolla equal to or only slightly longer than calyx; seeds light tan
S. decumbens ssp. decumbens