Flora of New Zealand Series

Arenaria marginata DC. Fl. fr. 4, 1805, 793.

S. media Presl Fl. sic . . . 1, 1826, 161 non

Arenaria media L. Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1762, 606.

A. media Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1852, 26 non L.

S. rubra var. marina Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 25.

Decumbent perennial herb up to 20 cm. long, ± glandular-pubescent. Lvs narrow-linear, semi-terete, slightly succulent, 1-2 cm. long, entire, blunt to acute; stipules triangular, acuminate. Infl. an alternating cyme; pedicel up to 2 cm. long, equalling to much exceeding fruiting calyx, glandular-hairy, as are bracts; sepals 4-6 mm. long, ovate, glandular- hairy except on wide scarious margins; petals us. pinkish, up to 3 mm. long, shorter than sepals. Capsule exceeding sepals, 3-valved. Seeds many, 1-1·5 mm. overall, all much compressed, brown-black, with wide pale scarious wing almost completely surrounding margin.

DIST.: N., S., St. Coastal rocks and salt meadows.

FL. 10-2. FT. 11-3.

The sp. is cosmopolitan, apparently polymorphic. N.Z. plants show regularly the following combination of characters: glandular hairs on pedicels and sepals (often over whole plant), sepals longer than petals, with membr. margins, stamens irregular in number, seed very dark, flat, with finely papillose surface.