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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE PINK FAMILY | |||||||||
| The pink family is found mainly in north temperate regions, though it may also be found in montane tropics and the arctic. These plants are herbaceous perennials that have an erect or reclining growth habit. Some species may be mat forming. Almost all of the members of the pink family have three characteristics in common that make this family easy to identify: swollen nodes, opposite leaves, and notched petals. Several members of this family are used as ornamentals. One of the more well-known examples is Dianthus or the carnation. Many species are also considered weedy. | |||||||||
| WESTERN SANDSPURRY | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Spergularia canadensis var. occidentalis | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Western sandspurry is 10 to 20 cm tall. This plant is densely tufted from fibrous roots. The stem is greenish to straw-coloured and is usually hairless. The stipules are broader than long, and are less than 3 mm long. The leaves are opposite and stalkless. The flowers are in branched inflorescences or in pairs. The flower stalks may have glandular hairs. The petals are less than 3 mm long, are shorter than the sepals, and are white or pink. Each flower has five stamens. The fruit is a capsule that opens along three valves. The seeds are smooth, dull or reddish-brown with an irregularly toothed wing. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Western sandspurry grows on the edge of salt-spring ponds in saline marsh-meadows. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in east-central Saskatchewan in the Mid-Boreal Lowland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Western sandspurry is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare, highly regionally restricted, and the populations are small. No threats are known or anticipated for this species at present. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY WESTERN SANDSPURRY | |||||||||
| * Do the flowers have five stamens? * Are the seeds dull or reddish-brown with an irregularly toothed wing? * Are the leaves opposite, sessile, and blunt-tipped? * Did you find it in east-central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found western sandspurry! | |||||||||
