Sagina apetala
Dwarf pearlwort, Dwarf Pearlwort
(c) Thomas Gyselinck, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sagina apetala (Dwarf pearlwort) is a native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by annual habit, apetalous flowers, and roughened seeds.
Dwarf pearlwort is a naturalized annual found in northwestern California, the northern Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, central Coast Ranges, southern California, and northern Channel Islands in sandy disturbed areas, river bars, and streamsides at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from spring to early summer, this tiny plant produces inconspicuous white flowers less than 2 millimeters long. Growing with thread-like stems 3 to 8 centimeters tall, it forms delicate, erect to decumbent plants with glandular hairs toward the top. Its narrow linear leaves are minutely ciliate near the base, measuring 3 to 9 millimeters long. The tiny brown seeds are less than half a millimeter long with a grooved back surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; key features are annual habit, apetalous flowers, and roughened seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy disturbed areas, river bars, streamsides
Elevation: < 700 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Monterey, Riverside, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Kern, El Dorado, Kings, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Lake, Yuba, Merced, Mendocino, Humboldt, Marin, Santa Clara, Amador, San Joaquin, Sutter, Solano, Sacramento, Placer, Napa, Yolo, Santa Cruz
Outside California: British Columbia, Kansas, formerly elsewhere in eastern North America, native to Europe
Bloom period
Sagina apetala blooms Spring-early summer.
How to tell it apart
vs Erigeron: Sagina forms moss-like mats with thread leaves; Erigeron has narrow but broader leaves and daisy-like flowers.; vs Sabulina: Sagina has extremely thread-like leaves forming dense mats; Sabulina has slightly wider, less moss-like leaves.; vs Soliva: Sagina forms green moss-like mats with tiny white flowers; Soliva forms flattened rosettes with no petals.; vs Spergula: Sagina has thread-like leaves in pairs; Spergula has leaves in whorls around the stem.; vs Holosteum: Sagina has tiny scattered flowers in loose clusters; Holosteum has umbrella-shaped flower clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sagina apetala native to California?
Yes. Sagina apetala is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sagina apetala bloom?
Sagina apetala blooms Spring-early summer.
Where in California does Sagina apetala grow?
Sagina apetala occurs in San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of < 700 m.
What plant family does Sagina apetala belong to?
Sagina apetala is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Sagina.
What habitat does Sagina apetala grow in?
Sagina apetala grows in Sandy disturbed areas, river bars, streamsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.