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coastal-plain nailwort

paper nailwort, papery whitlow-wort

Habit Plants annual, matted; taproot filiform. Plants annual or short-lived perennial, often densely matted; taproot filiform to slender.
Stems

prostrate to erect, dichotomously branched, 3–20 cm, retrorsely to spreading- pubescent throughout.

prostrate to ascending, dichotomously branched, 5–20 cm, often retrorsely pubescent on 1 side.

Leaves

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–7 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade elliptic to oblong or ovate, or basal ones spatulate, 2–18 × 1–6 mm, herbaceous to leathery, apex mucronate to short-spine-tipped, moderately antrorsely pubescent.

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate, fimbriate;

blade oblong to triangular-ovate, 1.5–6 × 0.5–1.5 mm, leathery, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous.

Inflorescences

diffuse, flowers solitary (paired) in axils of leafy bracts.

Flowers

5-merous, broadly ovoid, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx tapering distally, 2–2.3 mm, glabrous to strigose;

sepals brownish to yellowish, veins absent, subulate to lanceolate, 1–1.7 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish, 0.03–0.1 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by awn, hood obscure, small flange, awn straight to slightly divergent, yellow, 0.3–0.4 mm, scabrous to antrorsely strigose, spinose;

staminodes narrowly triangular, 0.2–0.3 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/8, 0.7–0.9 mm.

5-merous, occasionally 3- or 4-merous, obconic to short-campanulate, with gradually expanded hypanthium and calyx widening distally, 0.5–0.8 mm, pubescent proximally with straight to hooked hairs;

sepals brown-purple, white to greenish at apex, sometimes proximally, veins absent, ± oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish to translucent, 0.1–0.2 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by crest or mucro, hood broadly rounded, mucro rounded-triangular, ca. 0.1 mm, glabrous;

staminodes absent or rudimentary;

styles 2(–3), ca. 0.3 mm.

Utricles

ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.5–0.8 mm, essentially smooth, glabrous.

ovoid or ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.4–0.5 mm, smooth, glabrous.

Cymes

terminal, 7–25+-flowered, much-branched and very profusely developed along all branches, 1.5–20 mm wide.

Paronychia herniarioides

Paronychia chartacea

Phenology Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy ridges, dunes, pine/oak woodland
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The occasional occurrence of 3- or 4-merous flowers is unique to Paronychia chartacea among North American species of the genus.

Paronychia chartacea is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

The following key is adapted from L. C. Anderson (1991).

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

Key
1. Caudex (stem base) (1-)1.5-3.5(-4.2) mm; leaf blades 0.5-1.5 mm wide; flower clusters 3-20 mm wide; c peninsular Florida
var. chartacea
1. Caudex (stem base) (0.4-)0.7-1(-1.5) mm; leaf blades 1.2-3 mm wide; flower clusters 1.5-4 mm wide; Florida panhandle
var. minima
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 38. FNA vol. 5, p. 34.
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. franciscana, 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. 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. pulvinata, P. rugelii, P. sessiliflora, P. setacea, P. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
Subordinate taxa
P. chartacea var. chartacea, P. chartacea var. minima
Synonyms Anychia herniarioides, Anychiastrum herniarioides, Gastronychia herniarioides Nyachia pulvinata
Name authority (Michaux) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 159. (1818) Fernald: Rhodora 38: 418. (1936)
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