About Sabatia stellaris Pursh
Sabatia stellaris Pursh is an annual plant. In the northern part of its range, it grows up to 20 cm tall, while in the southern part of its range it can reach up to 50 cm tall. Its leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, and range from narrow to broad elliptic in shape. Populations in Florida have narrow leaves, while those in New England have broad leaves; this change in leaf shape occurs along a cline, so the species cannot be divided into discrete subspecies or varieties. Its flowers are pink or white, with five or six corolla lobes commonly called petals. The fruit is a dry capsule that can hold up to 600 seeds. This plant is endemic to the Eastern United States, growing along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts south to Florida, and west to Louisiana. It is a halophyte, restricted exclusively to salt marsh habitats, and is currently threatened by the invasive species Phragmites australis.
