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Drummond's nailwort

James' nailwort, nailwort

Habit Plants annual or biennial; taproot filiform to slender. Plants perennial; caudex branched, woody.
Stems

sprawling t2o erect, nearly simple to much-branched especially distally, 7–35 cm, retrorsely pubescent on 1 side or throughout.

erect to ascending, much-branched, 10–35 cm, scabrous, puberulent to pubescent, sometimes glabrous with age.

Leaves

stipules lanceolate to ovate, 5–10 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear-oblong to oblanceolate, 5–30 × 1–7 mm, leathery, apex acute to cuspidate, moderately antrorsely pubescent.

stipules lanceolate, 5–15 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear, 7–25(–34) × 0.5–1 mm, leathery, apex obtuse to subacute or submucronate, pubescent to puberulent.

Flowers

5-merous, ± short-campanulate, with prominently enlarged hypanthium and calyx flaring distally, (1.5–)2–2.3 mm, pubescent proximally with short, hooked hairs;

sepals greenish to brownish or red-brown, white distally, veins absent, oblong to obovate, 1–1.5 mm, leathery to rigid, margins white, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, papery, apex terminating in divergent awn, hood broadly rounded, awn white, stout-conic, 0.5–0.6 mm, glabrous;

staminodes filiform, ± 0.3 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/5, 0.3–0.6 mm.

5-merous, short-campanulate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx widening somewhat distally, 1.8–2.8 mm, puberulent, glabrous to hirtellous distally;

sepals green to red-brown, veins absent, oblong, 1.3–1.8 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish to translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, broadly rounded, awn widely divergent, 0.4–0.8 mm, conic in proximal 1/2–2/3 with yellowish, scabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.6–1 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/3–1/6, 0.8–1.2 mm.

Cymes

terminal, 25+-flowered, much-branched but congested, clusters 5–20 mm wide.

terminal, 20–70-flowered, open, clusters 1–2 cm wide.

Utricles

ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.5–0.8 mm, minutely papillate distally.

ellipsoid-ovoid, 0.8–1 mm, smooth, glabrous.

Paronychia drummondii

Paronychia jamesii

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy woodlands, clearings, roadsides Limestone rocky ledges, slopes, hilltops, grasslands
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft) 500-2500 m (1600-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LA; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; TX; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Chaudhri described two subspecies of Paronychia drummondii based on differences in leaf pubescence, flower size, and style length. We follow B. L. Turner (1983b), who noted that many specimens demonstrate intermediate characteristics, suggesting that taxonomic recognition not be given to the extremes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

We agree with B. L. Turner (1983b) in not adopting the four varieties of Paronychia jamesii that Chaudhri recognized.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 36. FNA vol. 5, p. 39.
Parent taxa Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Paronychioideae > Paronychia Caryophyllaceae > subfam. Paronychioideae > Paronychia
Sibling taxa
P. ahartii, P. americana, P. argyrocoma, P. baldwinii, P. canadensis, P. chartacea, P. congesta, P. depressa, P. echinulata, P. erecta, P. fastigiata, P. franciscana, P. herniarioides, P. jamesii, P. jonesii, P. lindheimeri, P. maccartii, P. monticola, P. patula, P. pulvinata, P. rugelii, P. sessiliflora, P. setacea, P. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
P. ahartii, P. americana, P. argyrocoma, P. baldwinii, P. canadensis, P. chartacea, P. congesta, P. depressa, P. drummondii, P. echinulata, P. erecta, P. fastigiata, P. franciscana, P. herniarioides, P. jonesii, P. lindheimeri, P. maccartii, P. monticola, P. patula, P. pulvinata, P. rugelii, P. sessiliflora, P. setacea, P. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
Synonyms P. drummondii subsp. parviflora P. jamesii var. hirsuta, P. jamesii var. parviflora, P. jamesii var. praelongifolia
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 170. (1838) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 170. (1838)
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