HERNIARIA HIRSUTA

Family and Genus:- See- CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Common Names:- Hairy rupturewort

Homotypic Synonyms:- Herniaria incana, Paronychia incana.

Meaning:- Herniaria (Gr) Bud or shoot.

Hirsuta (L) Rough-haired, covered in long hairs.

General description:- Low prostrate hairy annual.

Stems:-

1) Slender, usually with regularly alternating branches, with patent hairs.

Leaves:-

1) Grey-green, opposite, but alternate towards the shoot tips, oblong, elliptical to

oblanceolate, untoothed; hispid, older sometimes only ciliate.

2) Stipules, ciliate.

Flowers:-

1) Small, 1-1·5 mm, sessile, grey-green, in dense lateral and terminal clusters

which are leaf-opposed or contiguous on short branches.

2) Sepals, 5, densely hairy, 5-parted, no petals.

3) Stamens, 2.

Fruit:-

1) Achene, with a membranous pericarp.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, elliptical or oblong to oblanceolate, with straight ± stiff hairs.

2) Sepals, with ± stiff hairs.

3) Flowers, 1-1·5 mm.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry, sandy or stony places, disturbed ground by streams, tracks,

clearings, fallow fields and pastures, generally 0-300 m.

Distribution:- Widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. Fairly widespread

and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mid-May to Aug-(Sept).

Photos by:- Steve Lenton