Hi, This is my first post here. I love plant-identification, and hope to learn a lot on this forum. I am currently trying to identify a very nice but unknown (to me) little wildflower. It is a groundcover-type annual plant. The leaves are thin and opposite, growing from very distinct and lightly-colored nodes on the stem. They are about 1-1.5 mm across and about 2.5-3 cm long at the lower part of the stem and just over 1 cm toward the top (full-grown leaves). These nodes also have branching stems growing from them. The nodes are at regular intervals on the main stem, about 2 cm apart. Nodes on the branches are about 8-9 mm apart. Flowers appear at the end of branches. Also, the plant has many stems that lay down along the ground coming out from the rootball. The flower is 5-6 mm across, with 5 distinct, regular petals (pinkish-purple outer and mid-petal to white base, some gradation in color between the two) and regular 5-pointed sepal, the points of which appear exactly between each petal. The flower bud looks like a tiny watermelon or striped football. The stamen are yellow, about 2 mm in height. The stem is so small, I'm having trouble determining if it is squarish (possibly indicating mint family, except that the flower is regular), but it *does* seem to naturally stop every 90º as I twirl it slowly between my finger and thumb. The growing habit is, as I mentioned, low to the ground. It creates a beautiful blue-green "turf" appearance, which along with the flower is why I put "weed" in quotes, since weeds are "undesirables." Actually, although it is low-growing, it can bunch up to about 10 cm in height, especially toward the end of its growing season, winter to mid-summer. Right now, end of February, it is just starting to blossom, even though the temps are still below freezing at night (with frost but no precipitation.) This "weed" grows naturally in our area, the Inland Empire of southern California, which is in a valley separated by mountains from the coastal area to the west and the desert area to the east. Our temperatures go as low as -8ºC and as high as 47ºC, in case that helps. If I can figure out how to get a picture posted, I'll do that. Any other details you need, please ask. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! James
It sounds a lot like something in the Caryophyllaceae. Without a photograph, very difficult to know though. Try this search for Caryophyllaceae on Calphotos and see if something leaps out at you.
I'll get the photo posted as soon as I can. I can see why you responded with the Caryophyllaceae link. Agrostemma githago was slightly similar in flower, but none was the right one. The sepal is too small for anything on that page that was remotely similar. The flower is really tiny, almost like a grass. In fact, I thought by the flower alone that it might be Mediterranean grass, something that is common here. I'll get the pictures up soon. Thanks for your attempt on such small info.
Perhaps a Phlox? Phlox gracilis or Phlox gracilis var humilior? If so stamens are inserted? that is within the corolla which is a tubular corolla. The latter variety is the smaller of the two and sprouts around here about the same time as the Draba verna one of our first flowers to bloom. But I've only seen individual plants and they like D. verna are minute, not large enough to be called ground cover by my notion. :) So probably not your plant. Might just be the difference in climate, though, as you are decidedly warmer than we are by the temps you posted. We were getting lows in the single digits Fahrenheit (-12C to a -17C) last week. There are other larger species of Phlox that might fit the bill, but the size probably rules them out. The above link is to Calflora for which you have to register, but unlike years past, registration was free this year. Harry
Harry, That's a great try. Phlox gracilis is strikingly similar, but not the same. The leaf base is too broad. This plant's leaf is narrow and the edges are nearly parallel to each other, i.e. it doesn't taper from a broad base to narrow tip. But the number of similarities, including the positioning of the flower, the multiple flowering branches at the end of the stem, etc. (especially here) make me think we may have the right family or even genus. Well, I have the pictures now, so see it for yourself. Sorry, no flowers - my camera wasn't ready yesterday when I had flowers, and there are none out today (too cold/early, I suspect). BTW, though it looks "prickly", the "needles" are just soft, grass-like leaves. Thanks for your help. James Pictures (mouse-over for ref numbers in tooltip): 01-a (10493, top left) and 04 (10497, middle) are 2 individual stems and a whole plant including root, which is long, thin tap-root type (sorry, I'm not botanically proficient with my terms). 03-a (10496, middle left) and 05 (10498, btm left) are up close for detail 02 (top middle) and 02-b (top right): the wood (bark chip) is about 8 cm long, for perspective; 02-b has mallow on right, thistle on left for size comparison 06 (btm middle) and 07 (btm right) compare size of thistle & grass, my hand
Hi, Found this page on descriptions of the different species of the phlox family and distribution from the Jepson manual. The descriptions are technical in nature, but thought they might help you narrow it down or eliminate it as a possiblilty. The one I thought it might resemble P. austrmontana wasn't listed as being found in your location. That doesn't necessarily eliminate it though. When an old birder was asked why it was possible to find some birds far from there home range, his reply was that they can fly to whereever they wish to. Plants are a little bit more stationary, however. In your case it's probably another genus, or species that I'm not seeing just now. Perhaps one of the experts that frequent this forum might recognize it. Harry
Thanks, Harry. Actually, that one is nearby (San Jacinto mountains and rocky hills are mentioned, and same general elevation, i.e. 1500 feet, as I am at). Only problem is it isn't the same. My plant's flowers are much smaller, distinct elliptical petals, a fair bit darker (medium purple, slightly on the pink side). Also, the calyx is fairly shallow when open, like a bowl rather than a tall tumbler. (Sorry again that I can't describe it more exactly, but I'm way behind in my botanical terminology.) You may be right about finding it among Polemoniaceae. Thanks again for your help. James
I thanked Harry for his help, but this still is not identified. Can any of you ID experts hit the mark?
A closeup picture of the flower might help. You might check out the the genus Linanthus. Next time you see the flowers, open one up and look to see how the stamens are attached. Phlox for instance has stamens attached at different levels on the corolla tube, while in Linanthus they are all originate at the same level. The link is to the Jepson descriptions so if you think that might be the one, I'd go through the list and look for those that are mapped to your location. If it's not in that group then I would extend the search for those close to you. Harry
Interesting that Spergularia is in Caryophyllaceae (Pink family). See Daniel's post above. I guess I was the one that got everyone off track. Note the normal petal arrangement, the corolla not being tubular as in Phlox and Linanthuswhere the petals are just lobes attached to the tube. The only one of the Spergularia mapped outright in Jepson for your location was S. macrotheca, but most of the rest were close, (mainly along the coast) save for a couple in northern CA which I didn't annotate as I stepped through them. Harry
Thanks Daniel, David, and Harry, Spergularia atrosperma looks like the right one, at least the closest I could find. Harry, I'm in the Peninsular Ranges (dark pink in Jepson), and this one looks like its range matches our microclimate, as well, since it is listed with our "synonym" climates (Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys). We get the same temps and number of chill hours and can grow the same fruits in our specific location, generally, so it makes sense we'd have the same weeds to some extent. It's listed as leaf:fleshy, but another reference indicated "scantly fleshy" which is how I would describe it. Daniel, you were on target with the "Pink" family - I didn't find it when I scanned the images on your link, because... I didn't see the "next 100" button (it's on page 3 or so). Thanks again for your help. James
For small plants with opposite leaves in North America, my first inclinations are always Caryophyllaceae if flower parts are in 5s, and Veronica if flower parts not in 5s. Seems like I'll have to add Polemoniaceae into the mix, though - even though that wasn't the case this time, I'll need to remember it for future reference.
Not seeing the flower I only thought of Polemoniaceae (Phlox) because of the linear relatively short leaves, and in this case that turned out to be an error. :) We don't get many(any?) short leaved Carophyllaceae here in the Spokane, Wa area, or at least none that I have noticed. Spergularia isn't even mentioned in a local flora by St. John. So I learned a lot about the two families from this thread. Harry
