SafePlants

Armeria pungens: Spiny Thrift

Armeria pungens, commonly known as Spiny Thrift, is a fascinating plant with unique characteristics and a notable distribution.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant is called Spiny Thrift due to its spiny nature, which might pose a physical hazard.

Considerations for Children

• The plant is called Spiny Thrift due to its spiny nature, which might pose a physical hazard.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Armeria pungens (Link) Hoffmanns. & Link
• Common Name: Spiny Thrift, Sea Rose (also known as Cravo-das-areias in Portuguese, Spillone delle spiagge or Rosa marina in Italian)
• Family: Plumbaginaceae
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Synonyms:
  • Statice fasciculata Vent.
  • Statice pungens Link
  • Armeria fasciculata (Vent.) Willd.
  • Armeria maritima Willd. subsp. pungens (Link) Bernis
  • Armeria pungens (Link) Hoffmanns. et Link subsp. major (Daveau) Franco

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, Corsica, and Sardinia.
• Grows in coastal dunes and sandy areas, particularly in primary and secondary dunes, and less frequently under pine forests.
• Also found in the island of Garofani (North East Sardinia).

Morphological Characteristics

• Grows as small shrubs, reaching heights of about 80 cm (31 in).
• The stems are lignified at the base, robust, and highly branched.
• Forms hummocks up to 40 cm or more in height.
• Leaves are linear-spathulate to lanceolate, up to 10 cm long, and usually glaucous.

Ecological Role

• A coastal shrub with a disjunct Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution.

Quirky Facts

• In Sardinia, it's known by the names "Spillone delle spiagge" and "Rosa marina".

Further Information

• Encyclopedia of Life
• Euro+Med Plantbase
• Tropicos
• Wikimedia Commons
• Royal Botanic Gardens (for locations where it grows)