# Smooth Rupturewort (*Herniaria glabra*)

Smooth Rupturewort is a small, green plant that grows close to the ground. It has tiny leaves and can often be found in grassy areas, making it a friendly little plant to spot during outdoor adventures!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Smooth Rupturewort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Herniaria_glabra_2005.06.12_14.50.22.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Michael Becker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herniaria_glabra_2005.06.12_14.50.22.jpg)

## Appearance

The Smooth Rupturewort is a low-growing, mat-forming plant with many branched stems covered in tiny, smooth, bright green leaves. Its inconspicuous green or yellowish-green flowers are so small they are easily missed, blending into its dense foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Caryophyllaceae
- **Genus:** Herniaria

## Interesting facts

- Despite its tiny size, it forms a dense carpet protecting the soil.
- It loves growing in sunny, open spots, even in cracks in pavements!
- Its funny name comes from old beliefs it could 'rupture' kidney stones!
- The flowers are smaller than a pencil tip, often unnoticed by people!

## Special abilities

- **Ground Hugger:** Smooth Rupturewort can grow incredibly low to the ground, which helps it survive being stepped on and thrive in compacted soils.
- **Rocky Rescuer:** Smooth Rupturewort has tough roots that help it grow in poor, sandy, or rocky soils where other plants struggle to find nutrients.
- **Tiny Seed Traveler:** Smooth Rupturewort produces many tiny seeds that can easily be carried by wind or stick to animals, helping it spread far and wide.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-15 cm
- **Spread:** 20-50 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits tiny flowers for nectar.
- **Eaten by:** [Garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails and slugs graze on its leaves.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Black garden ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-garden-ant) (*Lasius niger*) — Ants may aid in seed dispersal.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always explore plants with an adult and never eat anything you find outside without checking first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Smooth Rupturewort?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Smooth Rupturewort?

5-15 cm

### How wide does Smooth Rupturewort spread?

20-50 cm

### How big are the flowers on Smooth Rupturewort?

0.1-0.2 cm

### When does Smooth Rupturewort bloom?

Summer

### Is Smooth Rupturewort edible?

No

### Is Smooth Rupturewort toxic?

None

### What is Smooth Rupturewort's lifecycle?

Annual

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Smooth Rupturewort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/smooth-rupturewort)