Thyme-leaved Sandwort - Arenaria serpyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia

Low to short, prostrate or bushy, roughly hairy plant, which is much branched. Leaves oval, pointed. Flowers in a spreading cluster, white with yellowish anthers, 5 to 8 mm, petals not split ('bifid') or notched, shorter than the sepals. Flask shaped capsule with a 'neck'.  Our plants is the subspecies A. serpyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia.

Arenaria leptocladus. Chickweeds and Mouse-ear Chickweeds are similar, but have split, or 'bifid' petals 

Very similar to A leptoclados, but larger; see key in Stace for size differences.  The seed capsule is flask-shaped, with a neck.

A photo of the capsule must be submitted, plus a general photograph of the plant

Dry and sandy places, walls and roadsides.

April to September.

Annual, rarely biennial.

Widespread and fairly frequent throughout Britain, except in the extreme north.

Fairly frequent though not common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 118 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Native, occasional