Lysimachia maritima, the sea milkwort, is a flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. It has a circumpolar distribution across the Northern Hemisphere and is native to Europe, Central Asia and North America. The species grows mainly in coastal habitats in Europe, but can also occur inland in mesic habitats in Asia and North America, up to elevations of 2,600 m (8,500 ft). Formerly classified as the sole species in the genus Glaux, it is distinguished from other members of Primulaceae by its lack of petals; its flowers instead have a pink or white petaloid calyx. The fleshy leaves are arranged in opposite pairs. This focus-stacked photograph shows a L. maritima plant flowering on a beach on the island of Norderney, part of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park in Germany.

Photographer: Stephan Sprinz

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