Arenaria serpyllifolia L.

Family: CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Genus: Arenaria

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Holoartica

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Therophytic calicole fields. Rocky surfaces and dry stone walls. Therophytic dry fields, sometimes disturbed zones.

Characteristics: A small annual erect plant with lots of hairs, leaves opposite with white flowers. Differs from the rest of the Arenarias by its ovate or ovo-lanceolate, non-linear leaves and the petals are shorter than the sepals. Also can be differentiated from A. leptoclados by the fruit type, as this later species is membranaceous and can be crushed between the fingers (as A. serpyllifolia is coriaceous and cannot be easily crushed between the fingers).