Habit: Spermacoce inaguensis grows as a perennial woody, highly branched, sub-shrub up to 20 cm in height spreading to form mounds/mats. Branches quadrangular and long pubescent. The leaves are arranged oppositely with short acute, slightly pubescent, stipules between the petioles. The sessile leaves are stiff, linear, up to 2 cm long (typically shorter) and 4 mm wide, with a spiny leaf apex and a ciliate margin. Leaves shorter toward the branch apex and the internodes are longer than the leaf length.
The, actinomorphic, perfect, complete, flowers occur in few flowered or solitary terminal heads at the ends of branches and are subtended by shorter leaves. The calyx has 4 fused at the base, glabrous linear – lanceolate lobed sepals. The corolla has 4 fused, glabrous, white, petals that form a short tube and each slightly recurved lobe with an ovate apex. There are 4 stamens that are fused to the perianth forming a hypanthium. The ovary is inferior with 1 locule and many ovules. The fruit is a capsule at maturity.
Habitat: Spermacoce inaguensis grows in Coccothrinax Woodlands and in sandy coastal shrublands.
Distribution: Spermacoce inaguensis is endemic to the Lucayan Archipelago occurring on Little Inagua. Recent collections have placed it on Great Inagua and Mayaguana as well.
Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Spermacoce brittonii is not known to be used medicinally in the Bahamas.
Spermacoce inaguensis is listed as Vulnerable (VU) under the IUCN criteria D2.
Freid, E.H. 2021. Spermacoce inaguensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T137682680A137682934.
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T137682680A137682934.en