This is a low-growing, creeping perennial that has come to Ireland from New Zealand. It bears pink flowers (6-8mm across) which have four notched petals, and a club-shaped stigma and these flowers are borne, solitarily, on curved stems which only reach about 10cm high. The flower stalks arise from leaf axils. The small, round-ovate bronzy leaves are in opposite pairs, on reddish stalks, with the central stem indented. This small introduced plant species can be found in hilly regions, on tracks, in quarries and gravelly bare ground. It is becoming more frequent in areas other than the centre of Ireland. It flowers between June and August and belongs to the Willowherb or Onagraceae family.
I first saw this species in County Sligo in June, 2013 and photographed it at that time.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
