Spergularia media (L.) K. Presl

Spice Detail Flower In the field

Family: CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Genus: Spergularia

Spanish common name: Cominillos.

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

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Cosmopolitan and subcosmopolitan

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Litoral marshes and riparian. Rocky coastlines. Coastal zones and salt marshes.

Characteristics: A small upright herbaceous plant, lacking hairs (glabrous), not very attractive to the eye and with stems to 65 cm. Stands out from the rest of the Spergularia for its greater height; although as for the rest of the genus, the leaves are elongated, opposite, narrow, mucronate and slightly fleshy. The inflorescences are formed by white flowers, pendunculate and petals are longer than the sepals. The stipules are wide and triangular. The capsule exceeds the sepals when mature, and the seeds are dark brown, with or without wings and finely tuberculate or smooth.

Observations: An identification key is necessary to correctly identify all of the Spergularia species.