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coastal-plain nailwort

Rio Grande nailwort

Habit Plants annual, matted; taproot filiform. Plants perennial; caudex woody, branched.
Stems

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

erect, 6–10 cm, evenly puberulent with spreading hairs.

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 lanceolate, 4–7 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear or needlelike, 4–7 × ca. 0.5 mm, leathery, apex spinulose, puberulous.

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, extended-urecolate, with prominent hypanthial bulge and calyx tapering somewhat distally, 2.8–3.1 mm, moderately pubescent with straight, spreading to appressed hairs generally throughout;

sepals green to red-brown, veins absent or midrib and lateral pair of veins evident in fruit, lanceolate to oblong, 1.3–1.5 mm, leathery to rigid, margins translucent, less than 0.05 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood prominent, narrowly rounded, awn widely divergent, 0.5–0.7 mm, broadly conic in proximal 1/2–2/3 with yellowish, ± glabrous spine;

staminodes subulate, ca. 0.5 mm;

style 1, 2-lobed in distal 1/3–3/5, 0.5–0.7 mm.

Utricles

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

± ovoid, 0.8–0.9 mm, ± smooth, glabrous.

Cymes

terminal, 7–28+-flowered, branched, mostly congested in clusters 5–15 mm wide.

Paronychia herniarioides

Paronychia congesta

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Sandy ridges, dunes, pine/oak woodland Thorn scrubland openings
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) 200-300 m (700-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Paronychia congesta is known only from two collections in Jim Hogg County.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 38. FNA vol. 5, p. 36.
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. chartacea, 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
Synonyms Anychia herniarioides, Anychiastrum herniarioides, Gastronychia herniarioides
Name authority (Michaux) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 159. (1818) Correll: Brittonia 18: 307. (1967)
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