Paronychia argyrocoma |
Paronychia franciscana |
|
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silverling, silvery nailwort, silvery whitlow-wort |
California whitlow wort, San Francisco nailwort, San Francisco whitlow wort |
|
Habit | Plants perennial, matted; caudex woody. | Plants perennial, mat-forming; caudex branched, woody. |
Stems | prostrate to ascending, much-branched, 5–60 cm, often retrorsely pubescent on 1 side. |
prostrate, usually much-branched throughout, 5–50 cm, pubescent. |
Leaves | 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. |
stipules ovate-lanceolate, 3–6 mm, apex narrowly acute to long-acuminate, entire; blade elliptic to oblanceolate, 5–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm, ± fleshy, apex spinulous, entire, ± moderately antrorsely appressed-pubescent. |
Flowers | 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. |
5-merous, short-cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric to slightly tapering distally, 1.9–2.4 mm, glabrous, sepals puberulent distally; sepals greenish, becoming reddish brown, midrib and lateral pair of veins often apparent, oblong to ovate, 1.2–1.3 mm, herbaceous, margins translucent, ca. 0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood broadly rounded, awn erect, 0.5–0.7 mm, conic in proximal 1/6 with whitish, smooth spine; staminodes absent; styles 2, 0.2–0.3 mm. |
Cymes | terminal, 15–25+-flowered, very compact, forming conspicuous glomerules 10–20 mm wide. |
axillary, inconspicuous, 2–6-flowered, tightly congested. |
Utricles | oblong, 1.5–1.8 mm, smooth, pubescent distally. |
± globose to 4-angled, 1.2–1.3 mm, papillate distally. |
Paronychia argyrocoma |
Paronychia franciscana |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–early fall. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | On or among rocks | Grassy hills |
Elevation | 200-1800 m (700-5900 ft) | 20-300 m (100-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
GA; KY; MA; MD; ME; NC; NH; TN; VA; VT; WV
|
CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | 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.) |
Although Paronychia franciscana was described from California, where it has been known from the San Francisco area since 1887, the species is native in Chile. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 33. | FNA vol. 5, p. 38. |
Parent taxa | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Paronychioideae > Paronychia | Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Paronychioideae > Paronychia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Anychia argyrocoma, P. argyrocoma subsp. albimontana, P. argyrocoma var. albimontana | |
Name authority | (Michaux) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 160. (1818) | Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 288. (1901) |
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