Paronychia argentea
Paronychia argentea, commonly known as Algerian tea, is an herbaceous plant from the family Caryophyllaceae that grows in sandy areas, ways, abandoned fields and dry terrains.
Description
It is an annual species with procumbent habits, which reaches 30 cm height. Similar to Paronychia capitata but with almost all glabrous leaves, a rigid and prominent sow, and calyx lobules with transparent margins.The stem is glabrous or pubescent, with opposite, elliptical and mucronate leaves.
The flowers grow in lateral and terminal glomerulus. They are hermaphrodite, pentamerous and actinomorphic, accompanied with scaly silver bracts bigger that themselves. The fruit is an achene.
Habitat and distribution
They can be encountered all around the Mediterranean Sea. It grows in abandoned or dry terrains, dunes and ditches, and flourishes from winter to summer.Uses
It is used stewed, as a diuretic and blood purifier, and as a plaster to cure wounds.Taxonomy
Paronychia argentea was described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and published in 3: 230. 1778.; Cytology
Paronychia argentea infraspecific number of chromosomes and taxa: 2n=28
; SynonymyParonychia nitida Gaertn. 1791Paronychia mauritanica Rothm. & Q.J.P.Silva 1939Paronychia italica Schult. in Roem. & Schult. 1819Paronychia cuatrecasii Sennen 1929Paronychia carpetana Pau 1895Illecebrum mauritanicum Schult. in Roem. & Schult. 1819Illecebrum maritimum Vill. 1801Paronychia pubescens DC. in Lam. & DC. 1805Paronychia glomerata Moench 1794Chaetonychia paronychia Samp.Ferriera mediterranea Bubani Illecebrum argenteum Pourr.Illecebrum italicum Vill. Illecebrum narbonnense Vill. Illecebrum paronychia L. Plottzia paronychia Samp.