Caryophyllaceae
Spergularia

Spergularia media (L.) C.Presl

First published in Fl. Sicul.: 161 (1826)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe to N. China and W. Pakistan, Canary Islands, Mauritania to N. Africa. It is an annual or subshrub and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with stout ± woody stock
Morphology Stem
Stems 5–40 cm, glabrous or glandular-hairy in the inflorescence
Morphology Leaves
Leaves fleshy, mucronate, slightly fasciculate; stipules broadly triangular, not acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4–6 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white or pink, equalling or somewhat exceeding the sepals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 7–9 mm, much exceeding the calyx
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 0.7–1.0 mm (excluding wing), dark brown, smooth or tuberculate, usually winged; margin of wing entire or only slightly divided.
Ecology
Sea shores, salt-marshes and inland saline areas; alt. 0–1700 m;
Phenology
Flowering: Mar.–May.
Distribution
This species not common in Iraq. Widespread in suitable habitats in both hemispheres.
[FIQ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164054/19432397

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images