Arenaria serpyllifolia
L.
Caryophyllaceae
Alsinanthus serpillifolius (L.) Desv.
Alsine serpyllifolia Crantz
Alsinella serpyllifolia Gray
Arenaria aegaea Rech.f.
Arenaria alpicola Beck
Arenaria alpina (Gaudin) A.Kern.
Arenaria breviflora Gilib.
Arenaria cantabrica Amo
Arenaria cassia Boiss.
Arenaria condensata Lange
Arenaria crassifolia Freyn ex Hallier
Arenaria foliacea Turrill
Arenaria gorgonea J.A.Schmidt
Arenaria leptoclados (Rchb.) Guss.
Arenaria leptoclados Boiss.
Arenaria lloydii Jord.
Arenaria marschlinsii K.Koch
Arenaria martrinii Tzvelev
Arenaria minutiflora Loscos ex Willk. & Lange
Arenaria olonensis Jord. ex Bonnier
Arenaria patula Martrin-Donos
Arenaria peloponnesiaca Rech.f.
Arenaria sphaerocarpa Ten.
Arenaria tremula Boiss.
Arenaria uralensis Pall. ex Spreng.
Arenaria varia Dulac
Arenaria viscida Loisel.
Arenaria wallichiana Ser.
Arenaria zozii Kleopow
Euthalia serpyllifolia Rupr.
Minuartia olonensis (Jord. ex Bonnier) P.Fourn.
Stellaria serpyllifolia (L.) Scop.
Common Name: Thyme-Leaf Sandwort
General Information
Arenaria serpyllifolia is an annual, sometimes biennial, plant growing 3 - 40cm or more tall from a taproot. The main stem usually branches freely, mainly near the base, to produce up to 100 erect to ascending or sprawling stems[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.
The plant has spread, mainly through human activity, and has become a weed in many parts of the globe.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
Eurasia - the Atlantic coast to Western Siberia; central Asia; China, Japan and Korea; Afghanistan and the Himalayas; North Africa - Morocco to Egypt
Habitat
Bare ground, arable fields, walls, bare soil on chalk downs, cliffs etc[
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
]. Mountain grassland slopes, sandy or stony barrens, fields, gardens; at elevations from 600 - 4,000 metres in China[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Properties
| Weed Potential | Yes |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual/Biennial |
| Height | 0.30 m |
| Pollinators | Insects, Self |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
This species is apparently disliked by rabbits since it is often abundant round their burrows[
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].
Edible Uses
The entire plant is used as a pot-herb[
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
].
Medicinal
The plant is antitussive, depurative, diuretic and febrifuge[[
147- Title
- A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Running Press; Philadelphica.
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- 0-914294-92-X
- Description
- A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
,
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of dysentery[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. It is also used in the treatment of bladder complaints, calculus troubles and acute and chronic cystitis[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in situ.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
