Paronychia franciscana

Plants perennial, mat-forming; caudex branched, woody. Stems prostrate, usually much-branched throughout, 5–50 cm, pubescent. 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. Cymes axillary, inconspicuous, 2–6-flowered, tightly congested. 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. Utricles ± globose to 4-angled, 1.2–1.3 mm, papillate distally.

Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Grassy hills
Elevation: 20-300 m

Introduced; Calif., South America (Chile).

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa