Lesser Sea-spurrey - Spergularia marina

Low, somewhat sprawling plant. Leaves fleshy, semi-cylindrical. Almost all seeds in any given capsule do not have a broad winged border (unlike S. media). Flowers pink, white in the centre. Usually 1 to 5 stamens, no more than 8. Petals not longer than the sepals.

Spergularia rubra.

See key in Stace for differences.  It is unlikely to be found very far from the salt-splash zone by a roadside.

A general photo of the plant in its habitat

Originally a coastal plant, it has started to spread inland alongside well salted main roads.

May to September.

Annual or biennial.

A localised plant, less common in Britain than S. media.

Occasional but possibly increasing in Leicestershire and Rutland. It can be found from time to time near to main roads where it is tolerant of winter salting. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was not recorded.

In the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Alien, occasional, first record 1996