Leaves arranged oppositely (but leaf pairs are often crowded along a stem giving a whorled appearance). Leaves are ~2-4 cm long, sessile (attaching directly to the stem without a petiole or leaf stem), glandular (sticky) and/or pubescent (fine hair or wool on surface), green to somewhat silvery green. Flowers are tiny: Sepals are fused at the base, with 5 distinct lobes ~2.5-5 mm long. There are 5 round or ovate petals ~2-4 mm long, white to pink or even rosy in color. There are 2-5 stamens with bright yellow anthers surrounding 3 yellow styles. Blooms from March through September. Fruit is a capsule ~3.5-6 mm long, with tiny (~0.5 mm) smooth or glandular- bumpy surfaces. Plant is an annual herb with a diffuse branching habit that gets to ~5-30 cm high and across. Common along the seashore and in alkaline interior locations, including the California deserts, generally under 700 m in elevation. Plant is pretty much cosmopolitan: native to much of the world.
Spergularia marina aka Spergularia salina (Caryophyllaceae): sand spurrey, salt marsh sand spurrey, salt sand spurrey, lesser sea spurrey
The development of this key was partially funded through the Geoscience Diversity Enhancement Program (Award #0703798) and through a course of re-assigned time provided by the CSULB Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee. Thanks also to the students in sections of biogeography, introductory physical geography, GDEP, and LSAMP for "test-driving" various editions of this key.