Spergularia marina (L.) Griseb., Caryophyllaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Spergularia salina J. Presl & C. Presl

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ni qi gu

English: lesser sea-spurrey, saltmarsh sand spurry, seaside sandwort

French: spergulaire des arais salés

Hawaiian: mimi‘īlio

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual herbs; stems erect to nearly prostrate, somewhat fleshy, 0.5-3 dm long, unbranched or many-branched, glabrous or glandular puberulent.  Leaves opposite or rarely fascicled, fleshy, linear, 5-40 mm long, 0.6-1.5 mm wide, glabrous or glandular puberulent, stipules deltate, 2-4 mm long.  Flowers in lax, elongate, racemose cymes; sepals ovate, 2.5-5 mm long; petals white to pink, ovate, 2-4 mm long; stamens 2-5.  Capsules 3.5-6 mm long.  Seeds brown, 0.6-0.8 mm long, smooth or papillose, usually not winged"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 526).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in coastal and low elevation dry areas"  (Wagner et al., 526; p. 174).  In New Zealand, "mudflats, sand flats, saline pastures"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 505).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Eurasia, northern Africa (including the Azores, Madeira Islands and Canary Islands), United States and Canada (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	French Frigate Shoals	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 326)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 526)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kure Atoll	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 526)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kure Atoll	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2001) (p. 17) Occasional to common on runway and compacted soils.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 526)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 526)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 526) Voucher cited: Forbes 1501.O (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Tern Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim (1999) (p. 7) Common everywhere, including the runway, where it must be occasionally scraped off to maintain the safety of the runway.
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Eastern Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-13)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 526)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-13)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Spit Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-13)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	possibly introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 505)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Spergularia marina is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Spergularia marina as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Spergularia marina may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim. 1999. S. S. Midway expedition, May 21, 1999 - June 16, 1999. Trip report prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Unpublished. 22 pp. plus photos.

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2001. Botanical inventory of Kure Atoll. United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawai‘i. 22 pp.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2008. Botanical survey of Midway Atoll. Prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 27 pp. plus appendices.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).