Procumbent Pearlwort

Sagina procumbens

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Caryophyllaceae (Pink)

Also in this family:

Annual Pearlwort, Bladder Campion, Bog Stitchwort, Bouncing Bett, Clove Pink, Common Chickweed, Common Corn-cockle, Common Mouse-ear, Common Soapwort, Corn Spurrey, Greater Chickweed, Greater Stitchwort, Knotted Pearlwort, Lesser Sea-spurrey, Lesser Stitchwort, Ragged Robin, Red Campion, Rock Sea-spurrey, Sea Campion, Sea Sandwort, Snow-in-summer, Spring Sandwort, Sticky Mouse-ear, Three-nerved Sandwort, Thyme-leaved Sandwort, White Campion

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Maximum Size:

20 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Ditches, farmland, gardens, grassland, lawns, meadows, mountains, roadsides, rocks, walls, wasteland, woodland.

Flower:

Green, 4 petals

White or pale green flowers, usually 4 petals but sometimes none, and rarely 5. Sepals much shorter than petals. The minute flowers are borne on long stalks.

Fruit:

Roundish, dull yellow, 4-valved capsule.

Leaves:

Mat-forming and resembles moss. The stalkless leaves are opposite along the stems and are thread-like. Hairless and spreads outwards from the centre of the basal rosette of leaves. Roots at the leaf nodes. The untoothed leaves are tipped with short bristle.

Other Names:

Arctic Pearlwort, Beads, Birdeye Pearlwort, Matted Pearlwort.

Frequency (UK):

Abundant

Similar Species:

Annual Pearlwort

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map