Spergularia platensis var. platensis
La plata sand-spurrey
Andrés González (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Annual · Not Native
Spergularia platensis var. platensis (La plata sand-spurrey) is a non-native California annual in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by smallest flowers and non-fleshy leaves diagnostic.
La plata sand-spurrey is a naturalized annual found in southern California coastal, South Coast, and Peninsular Ranges regions on dried or brackish mud flats and adobe mesas at elevations below 400 meters. Flowering in early spring, this delicate plant produces white flowers with 3 to 5 stamens in small clusters. Growing with slender stems less than 1 millimeter in diameter, it forms a compact, low-growing structure. Its leaves are not fleshy, with tiny inconspicuous white stipules about 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters long and deltate in shape. The fruit is small, measuring 1.4 to 2.6 millimeters long, with seeds featuring a distinctive worm-like surface texture and minute cup-shaped papillae.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; smallest flowers and non-fleshy leaves diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Dried or brackish mud flats, adobe mesas
Elevation: < 400 m
Outside California: Texas, Baja California, probably native to Argentina
Bloom period
Spergularia platensis var. platensis blooms Early spring.
How to tell it apart
vs Spergula: Spergularia has simple opposite leaves at nodes; Spergula has whorl-like clusters of 16-30 leaves per node.; vs Erodium: Spergularia has tiny pink/white flowers with round capsules; Erodium has purple flowers with long-beaked stork's-bill fruits.; vs Sabulina: Spergularia has fleshy leaves and triangular stipules; Sabulina has thread-like leaves without stipules.; vs Cakile: Spergularia has opposite fleshy leaves with pink flowers; Cakile has alternate fleshy leaves with 4-petaled mustard flowers.; vs Calandrinia: Spergularia has 5 tiny petals and triangular stipules; Calandrinia has 3-7 showy petals and no stipules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spergularia platensis var. platensis native to California?
No. Spergularia platensis var. platensis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Spergularia platensis var. platensis bloom?
Spergularia platensis var. platensis blooms Early spring.
What plant family does Spergularia platensis var. platensis belong to?
Spergularia platensis var. platensis is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Spergularia.
What habitat does Spergularia platensis var. platensis grow in?
Spergularia platensis var. platensis grows in Uncommon. Dried or brackish mud flats, adobe mesas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Spergularia rubra — Red sand-spurrey
- Spergularia sp. — Sand-spurrey
- Spergularia villosa — Hairy sand-spurrey
- Spergularia atrosperma — Black seed sand-spurrey
- Spergularia bocconi — Boccone's sand-spurrey
- Spergularia canadensis var. occidentalis — Western sand-spurrey
- Stellaria borealis subsp. sitchana — Sitka starwort
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.