Herniaria glabra, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1964, Flora Europaea - Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae, Cambridge University Press : 151

5. H. glabra L. , Sp. Pl. 218 (1753).

Annual to perennial, rarely woody at base; stems subglabrous or with short hairs all round. Leaves up to 7 x 3-5 mm, elliptic-obovate, glabrous, or rarely more or less ciliate; upper stipules and bracts very rarely with purplish-black coloration. Flowers c. 1 mm, clusters usually contiguous on short leafless branches. Sepals c. 5 mm. Capsule usually distinctly exceeding sepals. 2« =18. Most o f Europe except the extreme north. All except Az BI Co Cr Fa Hb Is Rs (N) Sb.

Variable in duration, habit, presence of hairs on leaf-margins and sepals, size of flowers and length of fruit (vide Pugsley, Jour. Bot. (London) 68: 214-18 (1930)). Perennial, suffruticose plants with ciliate leaves have been distinguished as subsp. nebrodensis Jan ex Nyman , Consp. 3, in obs. post pag. 677 (1881) ( H. microcarpa C. Presi ). They occur on mountains of S. Europe and possibly elsewhere.