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The Red sand spurry (Spergularia rubra) belongs to Fabaceae (the Pea family). It is an annual or a perennial herb that is distributed from Europe to the Far East of Russia, from West Asia to western China, and to the northern and northeastern parts of tropical Africa. In Japan, it has naturalized from Honshu to Hokkaido. It grows in coastal areas and on roadsides, reaching a height of about 15 cm. The stem branches from the base, creeps along the ground, and spreads out, reaching a length of 20-25 cm, with the tips standing upright. The leaves are slightly fleshy, with 2-4 leaves arranged in opposite pairs in a cluster, and are linear in shape, measuring 4-25 mm in length. From March to September, it produces pale pink flowers with five petals. The fruit is a capsule measuring 3.5-5 mm in length. It is called "無翅擬漆姑" (wu chi ni qi gu) in Chinese.
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