Caryophyllaceae

Spergularia macrotheca

Sticky Sand Spurry

Stems stout, sprawling. Stems and leaves covered with long, gray, glandular hairs. Stems branched, to 20 in. long, leafy. Leaves fleshy, crowded on stems, linear, 1/2–2 in., with pointed tip. Flowers several to many in each leaf axil, pink to rose, small, calyx lobes longer than petals, 9–10 stamens. Grows on beaches, in salt marshes, fields, mudflats, coastal bluffs. Also in salt marshes is S. marina, with 2–5 stamens, only 2 leaves at node.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: All Year Long
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 4 inches
• Habitat: Coastal
• Found In: Olympic Np
• Native: Yes