James' nailwort
Paronychia jamesii Torr.
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, much-branched above, rough or minutely pubescent, sometimes glabrescent; nodes sometimes swollen.
- Leaves
- Opposite, basal and cauline, basal often withering early; stipules lanceolate, .2 to .6 inch, membranous; petiole sometimes present on basal leaves, usually absent on cauline leaves; blade linear, .3 to 1.2 inch long, less than 1/25 inch wide, tip obtuse to acute or mucronate, margins entire, surfaces puberulent to pubescent.
- Inflorescence
- Cymes, terminal, 20-70-flowered, uppermost flowers often in 3s.
- Flower
- Sepals 5, slightly connate basally, forming short tube, lobes lanceolate, 1/16 to 1/10 inch, margins membranous, apex acuminate; petals 5, thread-like; stamens 5; styles 2.
- Fruit
- Utricles, ellipsoid to ovoid, ca. 1/25 inch, smooth; seeds brown or reddish brown, nearly spherical to ellipsoid.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Rocky to gravelly mixed-grass and shortgrass prairies, rock outcrops
- Distribution
- West 2/3 of Kansas
Practical Information
- Uses
- The Kiowa brewed a tea-like beverage from the plant.
Additional Notes
Comments
Named for Edwin James, botanist and geologist with Stephen Long's expedition of 1819-1820. Paronychia, beside and fingernail, alluding to its use for treating diseases of the fingernail.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae - Pink Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 4-10 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2014-04-19
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: June, July, August, September