Cardionema ramosissimum

Cardionema ramosissimum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Genus:	Cardionema
Species:	C. ramosissimum
Binomial name
	Cardionema ramosissimum; (Weinm.) A. Nels. & J.F. Macbr.
Synonyms
	Loeflinga ramosissima

Cardionema ramosissimum is a beach-dwelling plant of the pink family, Caryophyllaceae, which is known by the common name sandcarpet.

Description

Cardionema ramosissimum is a flat or clumping mat-forming perennial plant which grows along the coastline of western North America, as well as Chile. From a taproot it extends many petite to sprawling stems up to 30 centimeters long and covered in very tiny leaves, which are about a centimeter long and needlelike.

Filling in the spaces between the spine-shaped leaves are long stipules. The plant bears tiny woolly flowers.

Uses

This thick plant forms a blanket on the sand and can be used for erosion control on beaches.

External links

Media related to Cardionema ramosissimum at Wikimedia Commons

This Caryophyllales article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.