Armeria maritima explained

Armeria maritima, the thrift, sea thrift or sea pink, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae. It is a compact evergreen perennial which grows in low clumps and sends up long stems that support globes of bright pink flowers. In some cases purple, white or red flowers also occur. It is a popular garden flower and has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower. It does well in gardens designed as xeriscapes or rock gardens. The Latin specific epithet maritima means pertaining to the sea or coastal.[1]

Subspecies

Distribution and habitat

Armeria maritima sensu lato has a circumpolar distribution can be found in the wild in coastal areas across the Northern Hemisphere.[10] It can grow in dry, sandy, saline conditions such as coastal cliffs, grassland and salt marshes, salted roadsides and inland on mountain rocks.[11] [12] It is a common sight in British salt marshes, where it flowers April to October.[13]

Armeria maritima has a great copper-tolerance, and is able to grow in soils with copper concentrations of up to 6400 mg/kg. One mechanism proposed is that not much copper is transported up the shoot of the plant, and is excreted from decaying leaves.[14] Some of the physiology and metabolism of this species has been described, of particular note is how the metabolism of this species is altered with elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.[15]

Ecology

Pollination is by various insects including bees and Lepidoptera.

It is a known host species to the pathogenic fungus Phoma herbarum.[16]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Armeria maritima - Plant Finder. 2021-12-21. www.missouribotanicalgarden.org.
  2. Web site: Armeria maritima subsp. azorica Franco Plants of the World Online Kew Science . . 11 February 2022 . en.
  3. Web site: California Sea Pink, Armeria maritima ssp. californica. 2021-04-21. calscape.org.
  4. Web site: Armeria maritima ssp. californica. live. 2021-04-21. Calflora.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20210417115620/https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=675 . 2021-04-17 .
  5. Web site: Armeria maritima subsp. elongata (Hoffm.) Bonnier. 2021-04-21. www.gbif.org. en.
  6. Web site: Armeria maritima subsp. maritima in Flora of North America. live. 2021-04-21. www.efloras.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20060621090554/http://efloras.org:80/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250060029 . 2006-06-21 .
  7. Web site: Armeria purpurea W.D.J.Koch . www.worldfloraonline.org . 17 February 2021.
  8. Web site: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. live. 2021-04-21. www.wildflower.org. The University of Texas at Austin. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421132715/https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARMAS . 2021-04-21 .
  9. Web site: Armeria maritima subsp. sibirica in Flora of North America. live. 2021-04-21. www.efloras.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20060621090602/http://efloras.org:80/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250060030 . 2006-06-21 .
  10. Web site: Den Virtuella Floran: Trift, Armeria maritima Willd.. Arne. Anderberg. Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm. 17 February 2017.
  11. Book: Stace, C. A.. Stace, C. A.. 2010. New Flora of the British Isles. Third. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, U.K.. 9780521707725.
  12. Book: Blamey. M.. Fitter. R.. Fitter. A. 2003. Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora.. A & C Black. London. 978-1408179505.
  13. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/thrift Wildlife Trusts - Thrift
  14. Brewin LE, Mehra A, Lynch PT, Farago ME . Mechanisms of copper tolerance by Armeria maritima in Dolfrwyong Bog, north Wales—initial studies . Environ Geochem Health . 25 . 1 . 147–56 . March 2003 . 10.1023/a:1021225721605 . 12901090 . 36813793 .
  15. Davey . M. P. . Harmens . H. . Ashenden . T. W. . Edwards . R. . Baxter . R. . Species-specific effects of elevated CO2 on resource allocation in Plantago maritima and Armeria maritima . 10.1016/j.bse.2006.09.004 . Biochemical Systematics and Ecology . 35 . 3 . 121 . 2007 . 2007BioSE..35..121D .
  16. Web site: Armeria maritima 'Vindictive' . www.rhs.org . Royal Horticultural Society . 12 April 2020.
  17. Web site: thrift noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at . Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com . 2022-05-06.
  18. Web site: Thrift on old three pence coin.
  19. Helgi Hallgrímsson & Guðríður Gyða Eyjólfsdóttir (2004). Íslenskt sveppatal I - smásveppir [Checklist of Icelandic Fungi I - Microfungi]. Fjölrit Náttúrufræðistofnunar. Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History]. ISSN 1027-832X

    Conservation

    Armeria maritima is a common species in the UK, however there are several subspecies and in England, subspecies elongata (Tall Thrift) has vulnerable conservation status and is designated as a species of principal importance for biodiversity conservation under the NERC Act (2006).

    Cultivation

    The cultivar 'Vindictive' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[16]

    In popular culture

    The British threepence coin issued between 1937 and 1952 had a design of thrift on the reverse. In British slang, thrifty means to have bought a lot for very little money and the phrase is thought to be the reason why thrift was used as the emblem for the threepence coin (not worth very much money).[17] [18]

    As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity Plantlife chose sea thrift as the county flower of the Isles of Scilly.

    External links

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