Rugel's nailwort

Description

Paronychia rugelii, common name Rugel's nailwort, is a plant native to the US states of Georgia and Florida. It can be found in woodlands and on disturbed sites at elevations below 200 m (667 feet). They are sometimes referred to as sand squares. Paronychia rugelii is an annual herb up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall, nearly the entire above-ground parts with hairs. Leaves are ovate to lanceolate, up to 6 mm (0.24 inches) long. Flowers are reddish-brown and white. Paronychia is a genus of plants in the family Caryophyllaceae with over 110 species worldwide, mostly from warm-temperate North America, Eurasia, South America and Africa. They are herbs that are annual or biennial or perennial in life span. Some species have a woody base. For the most part they have small, white to yellow-white colored flowers that are often hidden within the paired bracts. The genus Siphonychia has been incorporated into Paronychia by botanists. The common names for some of the species include chickweed, nailwort, and Whitlow-wort. The genus gets its name from the disease of the fingernails which it was once thought to cure. Traditional healers in modern-day use species of this genus to treat kidney stones.