Species

Spergularia tasmanica

Etymology

tasmanica: Named after Abel Janzoon Tasman (1603-1659) who in the 17th century was the first European to sight Van Dieman's land (now known as Tasmania)

Common Name(s)

New Zealand sea spurrey, native sea spurrey

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Spergularia tasmanica (Kindb.) L.G.Adams

Family

Caryophyllaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Lepigonum tasmanicum Kindb.

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand (North, South and Stewart Islands) and Australia (Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania)

Habitat

Coastal (rarely inland in lowland saline areas). A locally common, often sparsely distributed species of mudflats (especially the upper Sarcocornia dominated reaches of estuaries), also on consolidated sand, cliff faces and rubble slopes.

Features

Perennial with thick, woody rootstock. Branches erect to ± decumbent from base. Leaves 10-60(-80) × 1-2 mm, yellow-green to ± green or reddish green, flattened, mucronate to shortly caudate, glabrous to sparsely glandular-ciliate. Stipules (3-)4-6(-7) mm long, acute to acuminate, sometimes furcate, shortly connate in the inflorescence. Inflorescence lax, densely invested in glandular hairs (0.1-)0.15-0.25(-0.5) mm long. Pedicels much longer than sepals. Sepals 3.0-3.5(-5.0) mm (mostly 4-6 mm long in fruit), ovate-lanceolate; glaucescent, occasionally with dark purple spots at base. Petals c.4 mm long, pink or mauve soon fading to white flushed pink or white. Stamens 5-10. Capsules 6-9 mm long (up to 2 mm longer than sepals), ovoid. Seeds 0.7-0.9(-1.1) mm long, dark grey-brown to jet black, pyriform to orbicular, bluntly to prominently colliculate-papillose, usually all scariously winged (rarely all wingless or some wingless in same capsule), the wing margin centre to erose-denticulate.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from the allied, naturalised S. media by the black or dark grey-brown, colliculate-papillose seeds. Those of S. media are rust-brown and smooth.

Flowering

July - June

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

July - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed. Needs full sun and a free draining but moist soil to flourish.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 72

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Notes on taxonomy

Previously this indigenous plant had been known as Spergularia media (L.) C.Presl. Spergularia media is an allied European species which is now considered to be naturalised to Australasia.



Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (Updated 8 May 2011). Description adapted from Adams et al. (2008).

References and further reading

Adams, L.G.; West, J.G.; Cowley, K.J. 2008: Revision of Spergularia (Caryophyllaceae) in Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 21: 251-270. Flora of Australia

This page last updated on 19 Jan 2014