Phil Bendle Collection:Scleranthus uniflorus (Mossy scabweed)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Scleranthus
Species: Scleranthus uniflorus
Synonym: S. biflorus ssp uniflorus
Common names: Mossy scabweed, Knawel cushion

This fine leaved New Zealand native Scleranthus forms a dense, moss-like mounded cushion. It grows in full sun in sandy or gritty soil. It has tiny inconspicuous flowers in early summer. It grows into a mould 5cm tall and 59cm wide. It is the densest of all Scleranthus varieties and is also slightly smaller and a lighter green in colour than Scleranthus biflorus. It can attain a distinctive golden hue in winter.

Photographed at Otari Wilton Bush Reserve, Wellington

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 

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