Lysimachia maritima

Sea milkwort, Sea Milkwort

Family: Myrsinaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Sea milkwort is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including northern California coast, central California coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Sierra Nevada east of crest, and northeastern California in coastal salt marshes and saline meadows at elevations below 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white, pink, red, or lavender flowers approximately 3 to 4 millimeters long, with calyx lobes that are more prominent than the flower tube. Growing with prostrate to erect fleshy stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms dense tufted clusters. Its leaves are opposite or alternate toward the stem's upper portion, with linear to oblong blades 4 to 20 millimeters long and no distinct petiole. The fruit is a small 5-valved capsule that remains partially hidden within the calyx.

Habitat: Coastal salt marshes, saline meadows

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: < 2100 m

Bioregions: NCo, deltaic GV, CCo, SnFrB, SNE, MP (exc Wrn)

California counties: San Luis Obispo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.