HERNIARIA HIRSUTA

Family:- CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Common Names:- Hairy rupturewort

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, and spreading (patent) hairs.

Leaves:-

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

oblanceolate, untoothed; with stiff bristly hairs (hispid), or the older sometimes

only fringed with hairs (ciliate).

2) Stipules ciliate.

Flowers:-

1) Small, 1-1·5 mm, stalkless, (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.

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