Sagina saginoides
Content
Description
Perennial polymorphous herb forming ± dense, 2-10 cm high mats or tufts.
Leaves glabrous, linear-narrowly elliptic, mucronate, joined at the base, median nerve strongly marked on underside.
Flowers usually solitary in the leaf axils, rarely two together;
Sepals (4 or) 5, ovate-oblong, c. 3 mm long, glabrous or ± glandular pubescent, obtuse, with narrow scarious margin.
Petals (4 or) 5, ovoid, obtuse, as long as or shorter than the sepals, rarely absent.
Stamens 10, rarely fewer, as long as the petals.
Ovary ovoid, glabrous.
Capsule ± cylindrical to ovoid, about twice as long as the persistent calyx, opening to the base by (4 or) 5 valves.
Seeds ± deltoid, 0.3-0.5 mm diameter, pale brown, finely verrucose or glabrous.
Distribution
Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present), Cibodas present, Himalayan region present, Japan present, N Vietnam present, Preanger present, Tengger Mts present
Widely distributed on the northern hemisphere, e.g. in the Himalayan region, China, Japan, and N Vietnam. In Malesia only recorded from Java (Cibodas, Preanger and Tengger Mts).
Taxonomy
Backer & Bakhuizen f., l.c., divided the species into two but we are of the same opinion as Mizushima, l.c., that it is not possible to maintain this separation. The whole variation within the Sagina saginoides-complex is in need of a revision, as our present knowledge is mainly based on European and North American material.
Citation
Mizush. 1955: Fauna & Flora Nep. Himal. p 124
Wadhwa 1996 – In: Fl. Ceylon. p 55
Lu Dequan & R.K. Rabeler 2001 – In: Fl. China. p 10
Grierson 1987 – In: Fl. Bhutan. p 214
H. Karst. 1960 – In: J. Jap. Bot. p 194
Ke Ping 1996: p. 255. – In: Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. f. 13: 2-7
Hara 1979 – In: Enum. Flow. Pl. Nepal. p 55
Steenis 1972: Mount. Fl. Java. f. 5
Backer & Bakh.f. 1963 – In: Fl. Java. p 209
K. Larsen 1989 – In: Fl. Camb., Laos & Vietnam. p 86
Ohwi 1965: Fl. Jap. p 424
N.C. Majumdar 1993 – In: Fl. India. p 559
Pham-hoàng Hô 1991: p. 935. – In: Ill. Fl. Vietnam. f. 2629
Backer & Bakh. f. 1963 – In: Fl. Java. p 209