| Author | (Michaux) Nuttall | |
| Distribution | Known only from a single site in the far southwestern Coastal Plain (Scotland County). This site, only a few miles north of the SC line, is the northern extent of the species' range. It was discovered in the state in 2005.
This is a Southern species, from southern NC south to central FL and AL. | |
| Abundance | Very rare, limited to a single unprotected site in NC. It is State Endangered. | |
| Habitat | This is a species of sandy soil, mostly in its range found in Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) sandhills habitats. In NC, it is found on a sand rim of a Carolina bay. |
| Phenology | Blooms from April to July, and fruits shortly after flowering. | |
| Identification | This is a prostrate species, forming a mat on the sand. The numerous branches radiate from the center, to about 4-5 inches long. The opposite stem leaves are only about 1/4-inch long and about 1/8-inch wide, spatulate to elliptic, with a mucronate tip. The small flowers are in leaf axils and are mostly green, but with the white rim of the sepals as in other species in the genus. However, flowers are not needed to identify this odd plant, as though there are a number of other mat-like plants growing on sands in the state, most have needle-like or awl-like leaves, as opposed to somewhat elliptic; the tiny white tip on each leaf clinches the identification. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | None | |
| State Rank | S1 | |
| Global Rank | G2G4 | |
| State Status | E | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
