Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Trailing Pearlwort at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5 (2005)
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-10-001:
Sagina decumbens FAMILY Caryophyllaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Sagina decumbens
COMMON NAME:
Trailing Pearlwort, Eastern Pearlwort, Annual Pearlwort
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 wik_s_decumbens_bb_1913
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24471929
)
COMPARE)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_s_decumbens1b
April
Leaves joined at the base, linear, to 1/2" long, bristle-tipped, smooth, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_s_decumbens2
April
Its numerous basal branches are erect to spreading and about 3-4" tall, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_s_decumbens2b
April
Though the petals are spreading, the open flower is barely 1/5" across, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5
Sagina decumbens ssp. decumbens
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-10-001:
Sagina decumbens
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Sagina decumbens
4299
Forb
Winter annual
Habitat: Disturbed ground, fields, cracks in pavement or sidewalks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common (uncommon in Mountains)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves sessile
Margins entire
RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Cespitose [growing in dense tufts, clumping]
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
Principally 5-merous
5 sepals
5 petals
3-10 stamens
Bisexual
Inflorescence a scorpioid cyme appearing racemose
FRUIT:
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".