Flora of New Zealand Series

Almost glabrous, ± prostrate, mat-forming, perennial herb, with stems rooting freely at nodes. Lvs opposite, with short petiole 2-4 mm long, spaced but imbricate along stems and also forming a terminal rosette; lamina to 2.3 × 2.2 cm and c. 1 mm thick, obcuneate to broadly obovate, somewhat concave above and convex beneath, green, glabrous but often ± papillate; distal part of margin shallowly crenate, otherwise entire; apex rounded. Infl. terminal on an erect, puberulent rachis to c. 3 cm high at flowering, afterwards elongating to c. 12 cm; cyme 3-5 cm across, corymbose, with 2-4 branches, each branch with a few fls; bracts leaflike at base, smaller higher up infl. Fls fairly numerous, on very short broad pedicels, secund. Sepals equal, 4-5.5 mm long, narrowly triangular or triangular-lanceolate. Petals 5, almost patent, 9-13 × 1.5-2 mm, ± lanceolate, pale pink or white with pink outside, becoming rose, acute. Stamens 6-8.5 mm long, whitish to pink, darkening with age. Carpels and styles white, becoming rose or crimson after anthesis. Scales semi-lunate or almost cup-shaped, sometimes retuse. Follicles crimson, slightly divergent. Seed c. 1 mm long, obovoid, with prominent longitudinal ribs.

S.: Alexandra, Arrowtown and near Lake Hawea (C. Otago).

Caucasus 1988

Steep hillsides, stony banks, gravel paths and driveways.

FL Dec-Mar.

S. spurium is very commonly grown in rock gardens, on rock walls and banks, and as an edging plant for borders, particularly in colder parts of the country. In recent times European cvs with darker foliage and fls have become popular, especially the very common cv. 'Schorbusser Blut' or dragon's blood. Wild plants of S. spurium seen from C. Otago do not belong to any of these modern cvs. This sp. is semi-deciduous and although the main lvs die in winter, rosettes of very small lvs persist at ground level until the spring. S. spurium and S. spectabile are the only spp. wild in N.Z. with toothed lvs and completely pink or rose fls. S. spectabile is a tall, erect herb whereas S. spurium is ± prostrate.