Question: I have tried several times to ID this plant with no success. All the leaves grow out of a single …
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Question
I have tried several times to ID this plant with no success. All the leaves grow out of a single node but I wouldn't think they were compound. They all are on the same side of the stem...whorled? The stems and flower stalks are hairy. The plant is about 4 inches tall. I'd love to know where I'm going wrong during the ID process.
Answer
Dear Janda, your plant is Spergularia rubra (red sand-spurry). It is a non-native member of the Caryophyllaceae that is introduced to New England here and there in open, sandy habitats. It has opposite leaves, but also has fascicles of leaves in the leaf axils, making determining the leaf arrangement difficult (but it only shows two stipules on the stem, demonstrating the actual leaf number per node). Best wishes.
