Field madder

Sherardia arvensis

Field madder is a small, pretty plant that grows in fields and meadows. It has tiny, star-shaped flowers that can be pink or white, and it loves sunny places!

Hábitat: Grasslands

Aspecto

The Field madder is a low-growing plant with square stems and tiny, pale lilac to pink, four-petaled flowers often clustered at the stem tips. Its leaves are small, narrow, and arranged in whorls around the stem, giving it a somewhat prickly appearance compared to softer groundcovers.

ReinoPlantaeFiloTracheophytaClaseMagnoliopsidaOrdenGentianalesFamiliaRubiaceaeGéneroSherardia

Field madder

Categoría

Plantas

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Each little flower produces bristly seeds that stick to animal fur for travel.

Its scientific name, Sherardia, honors an English botanist, James Sherard.

Some say its root used to make a red dye, like its larger madder relatives.

This tiny plant is part of the coffee family, though it doesn't make coffee!

Habilidades especiales

Field madder can grow close to the ground, allowing it to survive being trodden on and outcompete taller plants for light.

Field madder has a long blooming season, helping it produce many seeds and increase its chances of successful reproduction.

Field madder can thrive in many soil types, which helps it colonize diverse environments and expand its range.

Medidas y detalles

Altura: 5-40 cm
Extensión: 10-50 cm
Tamaño de la flor: 0.2-0.4 cm
Temporada de floración: Late spring to early fall
Comestible: Sí
Toxicidad: Ninguna
Ciclo de vida: Anual
Método de polinización: Insectos

Conexiones ecológicas

pollinates

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

Visits its small flowers for nectar and pollen.

pollinates

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Helps transfer pollen between Field madder flowers.

eaten by

Garden snail

Helix aspersa

Feeds on the leaves and tender shoots of the plant.

eaten by

Green peach aphid

Myzus persicae

Sucks sap from the stems and leaves, affecting growth.

Rasgos

Floración

Las plantas con flores son cualquier planta que produce flores como parte de su ciclo reproductivo.

Floración de verano

Las plantas de floración de verano producen sus flores durante la temporada estival, a menudo aportando un color vibrante cuando muchas otras plantas ya han terminado de florecer.