SafePlants

Slender Mountain Sandwort

This page provides information about the Slender Mountain Sandwort, a delicate plant found in specific regions.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant has slender, forked branches.
• It's hairy, with coarse to long, silky hairs on greenish surfaces and covered lower surfaces.

Considerations for Children

• The plant has slender, forked branches.
• It's hairy, with coarse to long, silky hairs on greenish surfaces and covered lower surfaces.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Arenaria capillaris Poir.
• Common Names: Slender Mountain Sandwort, Fescue Sandwort, Thread-leaved Sandwort

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Caryophyllaceae (Pink Family)
• Rank: Subspecies - Arenaria capillaris ssp. capillaris
• Synonyms: Eremogone capillaris. Note that some sources consider Eremogone capillaris a synonym, while others treat it as an alternative scientific name.

Distribution and Habitat

• Observed along Cold Springs Ridge Road in the northern Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
• Also found in Mt. Hood N.W.A. in Oregon and Olympic National Park.
• Prefers sandy soil.
• Grows in subalpine environments.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• It is a perennial herb that develops into a round-shaped subshrub.
• It is not evergreen.
• Forms dense tufts of linear opposite leaves at the base.
• Slender flowering stems with cymes.
• Many slender forked branches growing on a main stalk above a leafy, matted base.

Quirky Facts

• Sandworts are named after the sandy soil they prefer.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Grows alongside moss campion (Silene acaulis).
• May establish in frost boils in the alpine zone.

Further Information

• Discover Life provides information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Arenaria capillaris.
• NCBI Taxonomy recognizes this species.
• NIISS.org has a species profile with habitat and control information.