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California whitlow wort, San Francisco nailwort, San Francisco whitlow wort

Rocky Mountain nailwort

Habit Plants perennial, mat-forming; caudex branched, woody. Plants perennial, densely cespitose, cushion-forming; caudex much-branched, woody.
Stems

prostrate, usually much-branched throughout, 5–50 cm, pubescent.

prostrate, much-branched, 5–10 cm, puberulent.

Leaves

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.

stipules ovate, 3–6 mm, apex subobtuse, entire;

blade narrowly elliptic-oblong or oblong to narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, 2–5 × 0.2–1.8(–2) mm, fleshy, apex obtuse to subacute, glabrous.

Flowers

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.

mostly solitary at end of shoots, almost concealed by leaves.;

flowers 5-merous, elliptic-oblong, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx straight to tapering distally, 2.5–2.8 mm, densely appressed-puberulent, sparsely so distally;

sepals whitish to green, veins absent, narrowly oblong to ovate-oblong, 1.5–1.7 mm, papery to herbaceous, margins white, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, papery, apex with subterminal awn, hood ascending as continuation of sepal, broadly rounded to notched, awn erect, white, 0.3–0.6(–1) mm, ± glabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.7–0.9 mm;

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

Cymes

axillary, inconspicuous, 2–6-flowered, tightly congested.

Utricles

± globose to 4-angled, 1.2–1.3 mm, papillate distally.

ovoid, 1.3–1.5 mm, smooth, glabrous.

2n

= 32.

Paronychia franciscana

Paronychia pulvinata

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Grassy hills Rocky slopes and summit screes in alpine regions
Elevation 20-300 m (100-1000 ft) 3300-4200 m (10800-13800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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. 38. 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. drummondii, P. echinulata, P. erecta, P. fastigiata, 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. monticola, P. patula, P. rugelii, P. sessiliflora, P. setacea, P. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
Synonyms P. pulvinata var. longiaristata
Name authority Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 288. (1901) A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 58. (1864)
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