Red sandspurry also known as Common Sandspurry, Sandwor, Sabline Rouge and Red sand spurrey, is a plant species in pink family. It is inherent to Asia and Europe and could also be found on other continents such as South and North America and Australia. It could be grown in wide range of habitats. It is a perennial or annual herb which produce glandular or slender stem which measures 25 centimeters long. Leaves may be tipped with spines or hard points which may be accompanied by shiny white lance shaped stipules. Flowers are solitary which usually form in leaf axils and at the tips of stems. It possesses hairy and glandular sepals and five round to oval pink petals. Seeds are more or less flattened. Its habitat includes yards, streets, paths, lawns, loading areas, village banks wasteland, rocks and shores.
Facts of Red Sandspurry
Name
Red Sandspurry
Scientific Name
Spergularia rubra
Native
Native to Europe and Asia and could be found in other continents such as North and South America and Australia.
Common/English Name
Common Sandspurry, Sandwor, Sabline Rouge, Red sand spurrey, red sandspurry
Name in Other Languages
Danish: Mark-hindeknæ; German: Rote Schuppenmiere; Finnish: Punasolmukki; Swedish: Punasolmukki, Rödnarv; English: Purple-sandwort, Red sand-spurrey, Red sandspurry, Sand spurrey, Sand-spurrey; Chinese: wu chi ni qi gu; Dutch: Rode schijnspurrie; French: Spergulaire rouge; German: Rote Schuppenmiere
Plant Growth Habit
Annual to perennial
Root
Slender taproot
Leaves
Dark green, glabrous or hairy, linear, 4 to 20 mm long, 1 mm or less wide
Flowering Season
Mid spring
Flower
Pink to pale red
Fruit shape & size
Egg-shaped, 3-valved, 4 to 5 mm long capsule
Fruit color
Green
Plant parts used
Herb
Seed
0.4 to 0.6 mm long, brown
Red Sandspurry Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Spergularia rubra
Rank
Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom
Plantae (Plants)
Subkingdom
Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
Superdivision
Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
Division
Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Subclass
Caryophyllidae
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)
Genus
Spergularia (Pers.) J. Presl & C. Presl (Sandspurry)
Species
Spergularia rubra (L.) J. Presl & C. Presl (Red sandspurry)
Spergularia rubra var. perennans (Kindb.) B.L. Rob.
Spergularia sperguloides Hausskn.
Stipularia rubra (L.) Haw.
Tissa rubra (L.) T.S. Brandeg.
Tissa rubra (Linnaeus) Britton
Tissa rubra var. perennans (Kindb.) Greene
The plant grows well in open forests, meadows, gardens and disturbed sites below 7500 feet. Likewise S. canadensis with fleshy leaves, it is entirely coastal and does not have axillary leaf clusters. The plant keeps the flowers closed in unpleasant weather. When the sun shines flower mass makes an attractive sight in the middle of sandy track. It could stand trampling and can form stands up to several square meters large against walls as well as busy fields. It is also able to thrive in the edge of sports fields, parking places and school yards.
Plant
Red sandspurry is an annual to short lived perennial plant having slender taproots. It has prostate to erect stems that are glandular to hairy, branched, 4 to 30 cm long and 0.3 to 0.5 mm in diameter. The plant bears linear, clustered, opposite, dark green, fleshy, glabrous or hairy leaves which measures 4 to 20 mm long and 1 mm wide having pointed tips. It has silvery and lanceolate stipules which is about 3.5 to 5 mm long and unites to enclose nodes. Flowers have five petals, five sepals and six to ten stamens. It is arranged singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils. Petals are obovate to ovate, pink to pale red and measures 2 to 3.5 mm long. Sepals are glandular to hairy and are fused at a base for 0.5 to 0.7 mm. The capsules are three valved, green to tan and is about 3.5 to 5 mm long. Seeds measure 0.4 to 0.6 mm long having net like veins.
Traditional uses
It is helpful for urinary tract conditions, such as cystitis, urinary calculus and dysuria.
An infusion helps to soothe muscle walls of urinary tubules and is also used for treating kidney stones, chronic cystitis, acute and catarrh of bladder.
Precautions
Consult the doctor before using it to treat health conditions.
