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Dieren en planten

Plants   Carnation family   Campions and robins   Sea sandwort   Sea and sand spurreys   Salt marsh flora   White flowers   

Water en land

Salt marshes   Biotope   

Mens en Milieu

Sea and sand spurrys

size:

salt sand spurrey -
plant: 5-30 centimeters
flower: 4 to 8 millimeters

greater sea spurrey -
plant: 5-50 centimeters
flower: 7 to 13 millimeters

color:

white to pink (edged) flowers

blossoms:

salt sand spurrey: June to August
greater sea spurrey: June to October

reproduction:

seeds

life span:

salt sand spurrey: usually one year
greater sea spurrey: perennial

  • Dut: Zilte schijnspurrie
  • Lat: Spergularia salina
  • Eng: Salt sand spurrey, Lesser sea spurrey
  • Ger: Salz-Schuppenmiere
  • Dut: Gerande schijnspurrie
  • Lat: Spergularia media
  • Eng: Greater sea spurrey
  • Ger: Flügelsamige Schuppenmiere
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Sea and sand spurreys

Just like the names indicate, sea and sand spurrys are found in salty or sandy soils. The salt sand spurry grows on saline ground high up on the salt marsh where it rarely floods. Greater sea spurrey grows lower down on the marsh, where it risks the chance of being flooded. However, this plant has an ingenious method for suriving such a salty bath. As the water rises, the petals will close and retain an air bubble to keep the pistil and stamens dry.

  • Easy to confuse
    Greater sea-spurry, foto fitis, sytske dijksen

    Salt sand spurrey looks a lot like greater sea spurrey, however there are a few ways to tell the difference. Salt sand spurrey flowers are smaller, have no more than 8 stamens (and usually fewer) and the petals are generally shorter than the sepals In addition, it has a taproot so it is fairly easy to pull out of the ground. Furthermore, the seeds are not usually winged. The plant is found on open paths with little vegetation and compact soil.

    Greater sea spurrey flowers are larger, usually contain 10 stamen and the petals are generally longer than the sepals. This plant has a more developed root system than the taproot of the salt sand spurrey, making it more difficult to pull out of the ground. Plants with such root systems are usually perennials and greater sea spurrey is no exception. Its seeds usually have a broad winged border, which is how it got its Dutch name: 'gerande' (edged). Greater sea spurrey grows among thick vegetation, generally on salt marshes.

    Both salt sand spurrey and greater sea spurrey are common along coasts throughout the world. If either of these plants are found growing inland, it is thanks to the salted roads in the winter.