Sabulina verna

Last updated

Sabulina verna
Spring Sandwort.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Sabulina
Species:
S. verna
Binomial name
Sabulina verna
(L.) Rchb. (1832)
Subspecies
  • Sabulina verna subsp. brevipetala(Hartvig & Å.Strid) Dillenb. & Kadereit
  • Sabulina verna subsp. grandiflora(C.Presl) Dillenb. & Kadereit
  • Sabulina verna subsp. hercynica(Willk.) Dillenb. & Kadereit
  • Sabulina verna subsp. kabylica(Pomel) Dillenb. & Kadereit
  • Sabulina verna subsp. verna
Synonyms [1]
  • Alsine verna(L.) Wahlenb. (1812)
  • Alsine verna var. montanaFenzl (1841), not validly publ.
  • Arenaria vernaL. (1767)
  • Cherleria verna(L.) Samp. (1913)
  • Minuartia verna(L.) Hiern (1899)
  • Tryphane verna(L.) Rchb. (1841)

Sabulina verna is a scarce species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, known by the common names spring sandwort, leadwort, [2] golden moss, or Irish moss. [3] It is a small mat-forming, perennial herb. [4] It was first described as Arenaria verna by Carl Linnaeus in 1767 and is known by several synonyms including Minuartia verna. [1]

The small (7–9 mm across), 5-petalled flowers appear on short, downy stems from spring until late summer. The slender leaves have 3 veins. [5]

It ranges across temperate Eurasia and northwestern Africa [1] with a boreal-montane distribution. It is typically found on carboniferous limestone ground. It grows in short grassland, on exposed limestone pavement, on scree slopes and on metal-rich soils, including spoil heaps from lead mining. [4]

Subspecies

Five subspecies are accepted. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sabulina verna (L.) Rchb. Plants of the World Online . Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  2. "Minuartia verna | spring sandwort". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  3. Bluestone Perennials: Arenaria verna 'Aurea' Archived September 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 "Sabulina verna (L.) Rchb". Online Atlas of the British and Irish flora. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  5. Sterry, Paul (2006). Collins Complete Guide to British Wild Flowers. HarperCollins. p. 34. ISBN   978-0-00-723684-8.