Facts about Red Sandspurry

Red sandspurry also known as Common Sandspurry, Sandwor, Sabline Rouge and Red sand spurrey, is a plant species in pink family. It is inherent to Asia and Europe and could also be found on other continents such as South and North America and Australia. It could be grown in wide range of habitats. It is a perennial or annual herb which produce glandular or slender stem which measures 25 centimeters long. Leaves may be tipped with spines or hard points which may be accompanied by shiny white lance shaped stipules. Flowers are solitary which usually form in leaf axils and at the tips of stems. It possesses hairy and glandular sepals and five round to oval pink petals. Seeds are more or less flattened. Its habitat includes yards, streets, paths, lawns, loading areas, village banks wasteland, rocks and shores.

The plant grows well in open forests, meadows, gardens and disturbed sites below 7500 feet. Likewise S. canadensis with fleshy leaves, it is entirely coastal and does not have axillary leaf clusters. The plant keeps the flowers closed in unpleasant weather. When the sun shines flower mass makes an attractive sight in the middle of sandy track. It could stand trampling and can form stands up to several square meters large against walls as well as busy fields. It is also able to thrive in the edge of sports fields, parking places and school yards.

Plant

Red sandspurry is an annual to short lived perennial plant having slender taproots. It has prostate to erect stems that are glandular to hairy, branched, 4 to 30 cm long and 0.3 to 0.5 mm in diameter. The plant bears linear, clustered, opposite, dark green, fleshy, glabrous or hairy leaves which measures 4 to 20 mm long and 1 mm wide having pointed tips. It has silvery and lanceolate stipules which is about 3.5 to 5 mm long and unites to enclose nodes. Flowers have five petals, five sepals and six to ten stamens. It is arranged singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils. Petals are obovate to ovate, pink to pale red and measures 2 to 3.5 mm long. Sepals are glandular to hairy and are fused at a base for 0.5 to 0.7 mm. The capsules are three valved, green to tan and is about 3.5 to 5 mm long. Seeds measure 0.4 to 0.6 mm long having net like veins.

Traditional uses

• It is helpful for urinary tract conditions, such as cystitis, urinary calculus and dysuria.
• An infusion helps to soothe muscle walls of urinary tubules and is also used for treating kidney stones, chronic cystitis, acute and catarrh of bladder.

Precautions                                                                                                 

• Consult the doctor before using it to treat health conditions.
• Allergic people should avoid its use.

References:

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Spergularia+rubra

https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sancom13.html

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SPRU

http://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/files/invasive-species/Spergularia_rubra_BIO_SPRU.pdf

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55730-Spergularia-rubra

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