Sagina

For other uses, see Sagina (disambiguation).
Sagina
Sagina procumbens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Sagina
L.
Species

See text

Sagina (like Colobanthus called "pearlworts") is a genus of 20–30 species of flowering plants in the "Pink" or Carnation family Caryophyllaceae. These are flowering herbs native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere extending south to tropical mountain areas at high altitudes, reaching just south of the equator in Africa. They are small annual or perennial herbaceous plants, growing to 5–15 cm. The leaves are opposite, often in tight whorl-like clusters, simple linear, typically 5–20 mm long. The flowers are solitary or in small cymes, with four or five green sepals and an equal number of white petals; the petal size relative to the sepal size is useful in species identification. The fruit is a small capsule containing several seeds.[1][2][3][4]

Selected species

  • Sagina abyssinica
  • Sagina afroalpina
  • Sagina apetala - Annual Pearlwort
  • Sagina boydii - Boyd's Pearlwort
  • Sagina brachysepala
  • Sagina caespitosa
  • Sagina decumbens - Trailing Pearlwort
  • Sagina glabra
  • Sagina japonica - Japanese Pearlwort
  • Sagina maritima - Sea Pearlwort

Sources:[2][3][4][5][6][7]

References

  1. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
  2. 2.0 2.1 African Flowering Plants Database: Sagina
  3. 3.0 3.1 Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
  4. 4.0 4.1 Flora of China: Sagina
  5. Flora Europaea: Sagina
  6. Flora of North America: Sagina
  7. USDA Plants Profile: Sagina