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Armeria maritima 'Rubrifolia'

(Common Thrift)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Common Thrift, Red Leaf Thrift, Red Leaved Seathrift, Red Leaved Thrift, Sea Pink, Sea Thrift

Description

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Family Plumbaginaceae

Shrublets , shrubs , or herbs. Stems striate or reduced to a caudex . Leaves simple , alternate or basal, sessile or petiolate but petiole usually indistinct from blade ; stipules absent; leaf blade entire or rarely pinnately lobed , with chalk glands on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal or axillary , unbranched or branched, spicate , spicate-racemose, subcapitate , capitate, or paniculate , arranged into complanate spikes if branched, all composed of 1--10 or more cymules or helicoid cymes; cymules or helicoid cymes usually known as spikelets , 1--5-flowered; bracts 1 at base of each spikelet; bractlets 1 or 2 at base of each flower. Flowers bisexual , actinomorphic , sessile or very shortly pedicellate . Calyx persistent , hypogynous, tubular to funnelform , 5-ribbed, 5-lobed. Corolla hypogynous, petals connate but sometimes only at base, lobes or segments 5 and twisted. Stamens opposite corolla lobes, hypogynous or inserted at corolla base; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Pistil 1. Ovary superior, 1-locular. Styles 5, free or connate. Stigmas 5. Ovule 1, pendulous from a basal funicle. Capsules usually enclosed within calyx. Seeds 1 per capsule; embryo straight, surrounded by thin starchy endosperm.

About 25 genera and 440 species: worldwide, main diversity in C Asia and Mediterranean region; seven genera and 46 species (11 endemic) in China.[1]

Genus Armeria

Plants herbs, perennial , scapose , acaulescent ; taprooted, rootstocks branched, woody. Leaves in basal rosettes, sessile; blade linear to linear-spatulate [lanceolate], narrowed or straight to base , margins entire. Scapes glabrous or densely pubescent , sometimes rugose , enclosed by tubular leafless sheath at apex. Inflorescences solitary, apical, dense hemispheric heads of scorpioid cymes, each surrounded by involucre of scarious bracts. Pedicels absent or present (short). Flowers monomorphic or dimorphic (in pollen and stigma characteristics) ; calyx 10-ribbed, funnel-shaped; tube usually pubescent on ribs only or all around, rarely glabrous, limbs membranaceous , awned or not; petals slightly connate basally, white to deep purple; filaments adnate to base of corolla; anthers included ; styles 5, free , hairy proximally; stigmas linear, papillate or smooth . Fruits dry, enclosed in persistent calyces, dehiscing transversely. x = 9.

Species ca. 50: North America, s South America, Europe, w Asia (n Siberia), n Africa.

Armeria is known to be taxonomically difficult. Species concepts vary among authors . About 50 species can be recognized according to A. R. Pinto da Silva (1972).[2]

Physical Description

Habit: Mounding perennial .

Flowers: Deep pink flowers in late spring . • Bloom Period: March, April, May. • Flower Color: magenta

Foliage: Evergreen . • Summer foliage: Reddish-purple foliage .

Size/Age/Growth

Growth Rate: Moderate. • Size: Moderate grower with flower stalks to 8 to 10 in. tall, clumps 1 ft . wide.

Landscaping

Landscape Uses: Perennial borders . Rock gardens. • Care: Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system . For a neat appearance , remove old foliage before new leaves emerge . Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring .

Habitat

Biome: Disturbed areas, urban areas

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 6" apart.

Soil: Prefers well-drained soil.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High • Water Requirements: Water regularly, when top 3 in. of soil is dry.

Temperature: Heat Zones: High: 9 (>120 to 150 days) Low:1 (< 1 days) (map) • Cold Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b (map)

Taxonomy

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Similar Species

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Members of the genus Armeria

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 34 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

A. alliacea (Plantain Thrift) · A. armeria (Armeria) · A. caespitosa 'Alba' (Thrift) · A. Caespitosa 'Sea Pink' (Dwarf Thrift) · A. juniperifolia (Dwarf Thrift) · A. maritima (Common Thrift) · A. maritima californica (California Seapink) · A. maritima interior (Athabasca Thrift) · A. maritima purpurea (Thrift Seapink) · A. maritima sibirica (Sea Pink) · A. maritima 'Alba' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Bloodstone' (Bloodstone Thrift) · A. maritima subsp. californica (California Seapink) · A. maritima 'Compacta' (Compact Sea Pink) · A. maritima 'Cottontail' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Cotton Tail' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Dusseldorf Pride' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima subsp. interior (Interior Seapink) · A. maritima 'Laucheana' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Nifty Thrifty' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Pink Lusitanica' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Pride of Dusseldorf' (Pride of Dusseldorf Sea Pink) · A. maritima 'Rubrifolia' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima subsp. sibirica (Siberian Sea Thrift) · A. maritima 'Six Hills' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Splendens' (Common Thrift) · A. maritima 'Victor Reiter' (Sea Thrift) · A. pseudarmeria (Pinkball Thrift) · A. pseudarmeria 'Bees Hybrids' (Pinkball Thrift) · A. pseudarmeria 'Bees Ruby' (Pinkball Thrift) · A. pseudarmeria 'Joystick Lilac' (Pinkball Thrift) · A. pseudarmeria 'Joystick Red Shades' (Pinkball Thrift) · A. pseudarmeria 'Joystick White' (Pinkball Thrift) · A. setacea (Thrift)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Tse-Hsiang Pen & Rudolf V. Kamelin "Plumbaginaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 15 Page 190. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Claude Lefèbvre, Xavier Vekemans "Armeria". in Flora of North America Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 7/21/2012