Spergularia rubra (L.) J. Presl & C. Presl, Caryophyllaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Arenaria rubra L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: wu chi ni qi gu

English: purple sandspurry, purple sandwort, red sand-spurrey, sand-spurrey

French: spergulaire rouge

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants annual or short-lived perennial, delicate, 4-25 cm, stipitate-glandular in inflorescence. Taproots slender to ± stout. Stems erect to ascending or prostrate, usually much-branched proximally; main stem 0.3-0.5 mm in diameter proximally. Leaves: stipules conspicuous, shiny white, lanceolate, 3.5-5 mm, apex long-acuminate; blade filiform to linear, 0.4-1.5 cm, scarcely fleshy, apex apiculate to spine-tipped; axillary leaves 2-4+ per cluster. Cymes simple to 3+-compound or flowers solitary and axillary. Pedicels ascending to reflexed. Flowers: sepals connate 0.5-0.7 mm proximally, lobes often 3-veined, lanceolate, (2-) 2.5-3.2 mm, to 4 mm in fruit, margins 0.1-0.3 mm wide, apex obtuse to acute; petals pink, obovate to ovate, 0.9-1 times as long as sepals; stamens 6-10; styles 0.6-0.8 mm. Capsules greenish to tan, 3.5-5 mm, 1-1.2 times as long as sepals. Seeds red-brown to dark brown, with submarginal groove, broadly ovate or ± truncate, angular at broad end, plump, 0.4-0.6 mm, sculpturing of parallel, wavy lines, margins with peglike papillae (30x); wing absent"  (Flora of North America online).

Habitat/ecology:  In North America, "Open forests, gravelly glades, meadows, mud flats, roadsides, disturbed places; 0-2400 m"  (Flora of North America online).  In China (native in Xinjiang), "sands, saline soils, forests, shallow watersides; ca. 800 m"  (Flora of China online).  In New Zealand, "waste land, roadsides, railway ballast, dry pastures, riverbeds, gravel beach"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 505).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe, northern Africa, Asia; exact native range obscure; naturalized in temperate regions (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 462, 466, 558)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 462, 466, 558) Voucher cited: Danton A(252bis)277

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) "Common weed of waste and disturbed ground".
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) "Common weed of waste and disturbed ground".
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Xinjiang
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Hokkaido
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 182)
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)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Spergularia rubra, please let us know.