Sabatia stellaris

Sabatia stellaris, with the common names rose of Plymouth,[1] marsh pink, salt-marsh pink, and sea-pink; is a species of Sabatia. It has the synonym Sabatia maculata (Benth.) Benth. & Hook.f., Sabatia palmeri Gray, Sabatia purpusii Brandeg., Sabatia simulata Britt.).

Sabatia stellaris
Marsh pink (Sabatia stellaris) on Fripp Island, South Carolina
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Sabatia
Species:
S. stellaris
Binomial name
Sabatia stellaris

Distribution

The plant is endemic to the Eastern United States, where it occurs on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Louisiana. It is a halophyte, restricted to salt marsh habitats, where it is threatened by the invasive species Phragmites australis.[2]

Description

Sabatia stellaris is an annual plant growing to 20 cm tall in the northern part of its range, and up to 50 cm tall in the south of the range.

The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, narrow to broad elliptic in shape, with narrow leaves in Florida, and broad leaves in New England; the change in leaf shape is clinal, and cannot be separated into discrete subspecies or varieties.[2]

The flowers are pink or white, with five or six corolla lobes ('petals'). The fruit is a dry capsule containing up to 600 seeds.[2]

Conservation

Sabatia stellaris is listed as endangered in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.[1][2][3]

References
  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sabatia". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  2. New England Plant Conservation Program: Sabatia stellaris Pursh (Sea pink) Conservation and Research Plan for New England Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine (pdf file)
  3. Connecticut Botanical Society: Sabatia stellaris

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