Paronychia argyrocoma
Paronychia echinulata
silverling, silvery nailwort, silvery whitlow-wort
Eurasian nailwort
prostrate to ascending, much-branched, 5–60 cm, often retrorsely pubescent on 1 side.
stipules lanceolate, 2.5–8 mm, apex acute, entire;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate or -oblanceolate, 5–30 × 0.5–2 mm, leathery, apex acute, often mucronate, sparsely appressed-pubescent.
5-merous, short-cylindric to ovoid, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric to tapering distally, 3.5–6.5 mm, pubescent with antrorse, slightly spreading, silky hairs;
sepals greenish to brownish, veins 3, obscure, ribs absent, narrowly lanceolate, 2–3.2 mm, leathery to rigid, margins translucent, ca. 0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood narrowly triangular, awn straight to slightly divergent, white, 0.9–2 mm, scabrous, spinose;
staminodes narrowly triangular, 0.4–0.6 mm;
style 1, cleft in distal 1/6, 1.4–2 mm.
terminal, 15–25+-flowered, very compact, forming conspicuous glomerules 10–20 mm wide.
oblong, 1.5–1.8 mm, smooth, pubescent distally.
Paronychia argyrocoma
Paronychia echinulata
Plants of Paronychia argyrocoma with glabrous or barely scabrous leaves and glabrous sepal awns have sometimes been recognized as var. albimontana. They are found in both the southern and northern areas of the species range, but, curiously, not in the central portion (M. N. Chaudhri 1968).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (1 in the flora).
Paronychia echinulata was for many years known as P. echinata Lamarck. The latter cannot be used since, as Chater noted, it is a superfluous name for Illecebrum cymosa Linnaeus [= P. cymosa (Linnaeus) de Candolle].
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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