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Drummond's nailwort

Livermore nailwort

Habit Plants annual or biennial; taproot filiform to slender. Plants biennial but usually perennial; taproot stout.
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 throughout, 10–30 cm, glabrous.

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, 2–5 mm, apex acuminate to long-acuminate, entire;

blade linear, 7–15(–19) × 0.4–0.8(–1) mm, leathery, apex subobtuse or minutely cuspidate, glabrous.

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 constricted proximally, 2.3–3.2 mm, hirtellous, glabrous distally;

sepals red-brown, veins absent to obscure, narrowly oblong, 1.8–2.3 mm, leathery to rigid, margins translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood conspicuously rounded, awn divergently spreading, 1–1.5(–2) mm, ± broadly conic in proximal 1/3 with yellowish, glabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.7–0.9 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/5, 0.6–1.3 mm.

Cymes

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

terminating branchlets, 10–40+-flowered, repeatedly forked and diffuse, clusters 1–3 cm wide.

Utricles

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

ovoid, 1.2–1.5 mm, minutely papillose distally.

Paronychia drummondii

Paronychia monticola

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy woodlands, clearings, roadsides Mountain tops, rocky slopes and ledges, gravel beds of mountain streams
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft) ca 1200 m (ca 3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
LA; OK; TX
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila)
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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.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 36. FNA vol. 5, p. 40.
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. jamesii, P. jonesii, P. lindheimeri, P. maccartii, P. patula, P. pulvinata, P. rugelii, P. sessiliflora, P. setacea, P. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
Synonyms P. drummondii subsp. parviflora P. nudata
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 170. (1838) Cory: Rhodora 46: 279. (1944)
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