Sagina procumbens
Content
Description
Perennial, rarely annual or biennial herbs, forming dense or loose, 2-5 cm high tufts.
Leaves linear subulate to almost filiform, glabrous or rarely ciliate, mucronate, 5-12 mm long, joined at the base.
Flowers solitary in the leaf axils.
Sepals 4, broadly ovate, obtuse, green, with a very narrow scarious margin, without visible veins.
Petals 4, broadly ovate, half as long as the petals or less, rarely absent.
Stamens 4, rarely 5, episepalous and shorter than sepals.
Capsule about twice as long as the first appressed and later patent persistent sepals, opening by 4 obtuse valves.
Seeds brown, c. 0.3 mm, papillose, with a dorsal furrow.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Philippines (Philippines present), Benguet present, Luzon present, West Malaysia present, northern hemisphere from the arctic zone southwards present
Widely distributed on the northern hemisphere from the arctic zone southwards; now almost cosmopolitan. In Malesia only recorded from the Philippines (Luzon: Benguet) and from West Malaysia (twice collected in Genting Highlands around the Genting Hotel, c. 1800 m altitude). An easily overlooked species that could be expected elsewhere.
Taxonomy
A large number of infraspecific taxa have been described, some of which have also been raised to specific rank.
Citation
Ke Ping 1996: p. 253. – In: Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin.: f. 61: 1
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 138
Benth. 1863 – In: Fl. Austr.: 160
Lu Dequan & R.K. Rabeler 2001 – In: Fl. China: 10
Merr. & Rolfe 1908 – In: Philipp. J. Sc.: 97
Mizush. 1966: Fl. E. Himal.: 81
Edgew. & Hook. f. 1874 – In: Fl. Brit. India: 242
N.C. Majumdar 1993 – In: Fl. India: 558
Merr. & Rolfe 1910 – In: Philipp. J. Sc.: 346
Grierson 1987 – In: Fl. Bhutan: 214