The Original Mystery Plant

Photo by John Nelson

It looks dainty. However, in this case, looks are deceiving. This is one of the toughest little plants around adapted to survive under the punishing sun in deep sands and without much water.

We have too much annual rainfall here in the Southeast for any areas to be considered true deserts. Rather, our driest natural habitats are those that have rainwater drain away quickly, such as flat rock out- crops or drain through quickly.

Its upright stems are devoid of most leaves. Three or more flowers, each on a long stalk, are held in clusters at the ends of these branches.

Each flower has five showy, snow- white petals and about 10 stamens. The single pistil eventually produces a slick, many seeded capsule, about a quarter of an inch long. Plants bloom from April into the early summer, and then the cushiony, somewhat prickly growth at the base persists.

This plant is a distant relative of a number of garden species including Sweet- William and the cultivated carnations. They belong to the same family, which is the Caryophyllaceae.

You can find this species in upland, well- drained sandy places, on the coastal plain from northern Florida well into the pine barrens of New Jersey. There are also historic locations from New York and Rhode Island.

Xeric is a word that means dry, and it's usually true this plant grows in truly xeric habitats. Its adaptations include tiny, narrowed leaves, each one shiny and slick, modified to limit water loss. The plant has a long root, which may extend several feet straight below the surface.

Plants generally form low, more or less rounded mats or cushions, with a number of intertwining leafy stems. All these modifications are effective in dealing with drought- like conditions. The same strategies, tiny leaves, deep roots, and cushiony growth, are demonstrated by a variety of completely unrelated species that occur in the same challenging, xeric sites.

Plants that exhibit prominent adaptations for growing in such inhospitably dry places are frequently termed xerophytes. It's no wonder that this sandy gem is not a good candidate for transplanting. It's just too picky about where it grows, and its root is extremely hard to unearth without breaking part of it.

It's a bad idea to dig up or transplant wildflowers out of their native habitat unless they are about to be bulldozed. Various native plant suppliers and nurseries offer wide selections of xerophytes and other native species. Woodlanders Nursery in Aiken S.C., is one of these and will hold an open house April 21- 28. Visit their website; www.woodlanders.net.

Answer to this week's mystery plant

[Answer: "Sand carnation," Minuartia caroliniana

Dr. John Nelson is the curator of the USC Herbarium.

To learn more about the Herbarium, call 777-8196. The

department also offers free plant identification.

www.herbarium.org