Kentucky Plant Atlas




Taxonomic distinction unclear    No county information
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Caryophyllaceae <Sagineae> Sabulina [Mononeuria, Minuartia*, Arenaria] muscorum (patula var. robusta)
Sabulina muscorum (Fassett) E.E. Schilling
ALI: no HAB: n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a ABU: n/a, n/a, 0
This taxon has often been treated as Minuartia patula var. robusta (Steyermark) McNeill or other synonyms. It is known mostly from the Ozark region to e Tex. and n La., where it is typical of "sandy openings of mesic upland forests; also open, disturbed areas" (FNA 5, Y). Disjunct eastern populations have been reported in Ga., Ala., Tenn. and Ky. (M, Ch, K in previous edtions). At least in Ky., so-called "var. robusta" has no obvious difference from typical patula in habitat or life history, according to Baskin & Baskin (1982). Typical muscorum differs from related speces (patula, diffusa, michauxii) as follows (FNA 5, Y, Weakley et al. 2023): sepals 3-veined (versus 3-5), tending to be less acute (not acuminate); petals relatively long (usually 2-3 x sepal length versus 1.5-2); leaves mostly 1.5-3.2 mm wide (versus 0.5-1.5 mm) and narroowly lanceolate or oblanceolate (versis linear).;seeds black and muriculate-papillate (versus reddish-brown to black and tuberculate). Although plants in Ky. with 3-nerved sepals can now be treated as S. diffusa M. Brock (see notes under that name), deeper investigation is needed. At least one coll. of "patula" sensu lato does have unusually wide lanceolate leaves: M.E. Wharton #9873 (EKY) from GARR "In cracks of bed of White Oak Creek".