The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Rocky Mountain nailwort

Mccart's nailwort

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

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

sprawling, branched from base, 3–10 cm, puberulent.

Leaves

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.

stipules lanceolate, 2.5–5 mm, apex narrowly acuminate, entire;

blade linear-oblong to linear-lanceolate, 2–10 × 0.7–1.5 mm, leathery, apex spinose, minutely puberulent.

Flowers

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.

5-merous, extended-urceolate, with enlarged hypanthial bulge and calyx cylindric to slightly tapering distally, 3.5-4 mm, moderately pubescent proximally, with minute, hooked hairs on hypanthial bulge, sparsely pubescent on calyx, densely so with hooked to coiled hairs on hood;

sepals green to red-purple, midrib apparent, oblong, 1.9–2.1 mm, herbaceous to leathery, margins white, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by awn, hood triangular-rounded, awn erect, becoming widely divergent, white, ± lanceoloid from proximal constriction, 0.8–1.3 mm, slightly scarious, distinct spine absent;

staminodes narrowly subulate, 0.6–0.8 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 7/8, 0.7–0.8 mm.

Utricles

ovoid, 1.3–1.5 mm, smooth, glabrous.

unknown.

Cymes

terminal, 10–20-flowered, congested, in clusters 0.5–1.5 mm wide.

2n

= 32.

Paronychia pulvinata

Paronychia maccartii

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Rocky slopes and summit screes in alpine regions Dense red sands
Elevation 3300-4200 m (10800-13800 ft) 200-300 m (700-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Paronychia maccartii is still known only from the type collection in Webb County.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 40. 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. 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
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. monticola, P. patula, P. pulvinata, P. rugelii, P. sessiliflora, P. setacea, P. virginica, P. wilkinsonii
Synonyms P. pulvinata var. longiaristata
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 58. (1864) Correll: Brittonia 18: 307. (1967)
Web links