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coastal-plain nailwort

bristle nailwort

Habit Plants annual, matted; taproot filiform. Plants annual, biennial, or perennial; taproot filiform to slender.
Stems

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

erect to ascending, much-branched distally, 5–20 cm, finely pubescent to puberulent.

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, 3–8 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear, 5–20 × 0.3–1 mm, leathery, apex minutely cuspidate, 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, ± short-campanulate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx widening distally, 2.4–3.2 mm, moderately pubescent proximately with antrorsely appressed to spreading hairs;

sepals green to tan, midrib and lateral pair of veins absent to evident, oblong, 1.2–1.3 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish to translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood ± obscure, narrowly rounded, awn widely divergent, 0.6–1.3 mm, broadly conic in proximal 1/3 with white to yellowish, scabrous spine;

staminodes subulate, 0.6–0.7 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/2, 0.4–0.6 mm.

Utricles

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

ovoid-oblong, 1 mm, smooth, glabrous.

Cymes

terminal and lateral, 5–20+-flowered, dichasial and rather diffuse, forming clusters 3–15 mm wide.

2n

= 64.

Paronychia herniarioides

Paronychia setacea

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy ridges, dunes, pine/oak woodland Limestone barrens, gravelly or sandy slopes and grasslands
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) 30-200 m (100-700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

We could not distinguish Paronychia lundellorum from P. setacea based on features that Turner used for differentiation, nor did we discover any other discriminating characters. The former was described as perennial (versus annual for the latter) and as having “decided pedicellate” (versus sessile) and longer flowers. Recent data (W. Carr, pers. comm.) indicate that it does bloom in the first year. Furthermore, we have observed that the pedicel character is inconsistent and the flower lengths overlap extensively. Further study of the allopatric populations named P. lundellorum is warranted.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 38. FNA vol. 5, p. 42.
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. 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. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
Synonyms Anychia herniarioides, Anychiastrum herniarioides, Gastronychia herniarioides P. lundellorum, P. setacea var. longibracteata
Name authority (Michaux) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 159. (1818) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 170. (1838)
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