404 FLORA. 



2i. PARONYCHIA Adans. (See Appendix.) 



Perennial tufted herbs, often woody at the base, with opposite leaves, scarious 



stipules, and small clustered scarious-bracted apetalous flowers. Calyx 5 -parted, 

 the segments bristle-pointed. Stamens 5. inserted at the base of the calyx, some- 

 times alternate with as many staminodia. Ovary narrowed upward into the style; 

 style 2-cleft at the apex; ovule solitary, amphitropous. Utricle membranous, in- 

 cluded in the calyx, L -seeded. [Greek, for a disease of the fingers and a plant 

 supposed to cure it.] About 40 species, natives of warm and temperate regions. 

 Besides the following about 5 others occur in the Southern States, one in the Rocky 

 Mts., and one in Cal. 



Awns of the calyx-segments erect. 1. P. argyrocoma. 



Awns of the calyx-segments divergent. 



Stipules 2-cleft. 2. P. sessiliflora. 



Stipules entire. 



Lowest leaves obtuse, uppermost mucronate or bristle-pointed. 



3. P. Jamesii. 

 Leaves all acute, mucronate or bristle-pointed. 4. P. dichotoma. 



i. Paronychia argyrocoma (Michx.) Nutt. Silver Whitlow-wort. 

 (I. F. f. 15 18.) Stem much branched, 0.7-2 dm. high, clothed with silvery ap- 

 pressed scale-like hairs. Leaves linear, I -nerved, acute or mucronate; stipules 

 silvery- white, entire; flowers in forking cymes, subtended by the large silvery 

 bracts; calyx-segments 4-5 mm. long, their awns erect, nearly as long; style fili- 

 form; staminodia minute and much shorter than the filaments or wanting. In 

 rocky places, Me. and N. H. to Tenn. and Ga. July-Sept. 



2. Paronychia sessiliflora Nutt. Low Whitlow- wort. (I. F. f. 15 19.) 

 Densely tufted from thick roots, low, the internodes very short and hidden by the 

 imbricated leaves and stipules. Leaves linear-subulate, the lowest erect and obtuse, 

 the uppermost recurved-spreading, mucronate or bristle-pointed; stipules 2-cleft; 

 bracts entire; flowers sessile, solitary or several together; calyx 2-3 mm. long, its 

 segments hooded at the apex, tipped with divergent awns of nearly their own 

 length ; staminodia about as long as the filaments. In dry soil, N. W. Terr, to Neb. 

 and Wyo. Aug-Sept. 



3. Paronychia Jamesii T. & G. James' Whitlow-wort. (I. F. f. 1520.) 

 Scabrous-pubescent; stems 0.7-2 dm. high, much branched. Leaves linear-subulate, 

 the lowest obtuse, the uppermost mucronate or bristle-pointed; stipules entire; 

 flowers in small cymes; bracts shorter than the calyx; calyx 2-3 mm. long, the 

 segments hooded at the apex, tipped with divergent awns of about one-fourth their 

 length; staminodia about as long as the filaments. In dry soil, Neb. and Colo, to 

 Tex. July-Oct. 



Paronychia Jimesii depressa Nutt. Lower, rarely over 0.7 dm. high, densely tufted ; 

 internodes very short; leaves imbricated. Neb. to Tex. 



4. Paronychia dichotoma (L.) Nutt. Forking Whitlow-wort. Nailwort. 

 (I. F. f. 152 1.) Much branched from the thick woody base, 1-4 dm. tall. Leaves 

 subulate, acute, mucronate or bristle-tipped; stipules entire, often 10-12 mm. long; 

 calyx 2-4 mm. long, the awns of its segments divergent, short; staminodia hardly 

 one-fourth as long as the filaments; styles nearly as long as the perianth-segments. 

 In dry soil, Md. to N. Car.. Ark. and Tex. July-Oct. 



22. ANYCHIA Michx. 



Annual herbs, with forking stems, elliptic oval or oblanceolate opposite, mostly 

 punctate, short-petioled leaves, small scarious stipules, and minute green apetalous 

 flowers. Calyx 5 -parted, its segments oblong, concave, not awned. Stamens 2-5, 

 inserted on the base of the calyx; filaments filiform. Staminodia wanting. Ovary 

 subglobose, compressed; styles 2, distinct, or united at the base; ovule solitary, 

 amphitropous. Utricle subglobose, as long as the calyx or longer. [Derivation 

 same as the preceding genus.] Only the following species, natives of eastern N. 

 Am. 



Pubescent; flowers sessile; stems mostly prostrate or ascending. 1. A. polygonoides. 



Glabrous or nearly so ; flowers pedicelled; stems usually erect. 2. A, Canadensis, 



