Found on coastal shingle, the upper reaches of saltmarshes and on muddy shores, this little wildflower is a prostrate, trailing and sometimes sticky annual. From May to September, it bears its pretty 5-petalled flowers (6-9mm across) on fleshy stalks. These flowers are deep pink, each petal becoming white towards the centre of the corolla where the 4-7 stamens occur. The sepals are longer than the petals. The plant's narrow fleshy leaves are slightly pointed and are in opposite pairs, having a little stipule at their base. Lesser Sea-spurrey is a member of the Caryophyllaceae or Pink family and is a native plant.
I first found this plant at Dalkey, Co Dublin in 1975 and photographed it at Tacumshane Lake, Co Wexford in 2009.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
