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 (Fam. Caryophyllaceae) infraspecific number of chromosomes and taxa: 2n=28Estudio citotaxonómico de la flora de las costas gallegas Lago Canzobre, E. & S. Castroviejo (1993) Cadernos Área Ci. Biol. 3: 1-215 Synonymy Paronychia nitida Gaertn. 1791 Paronychia mauritanica (Schult.) Rothm. & Q.J.P.Silva 1939 Paronychia italica (Vill.) Schult. in Roem. & Schult. 1819 Paronychia cuatrecasii Sennen 1929 Paronychia carpetana Pau 1895 Illecebrum mauritanicum Schult. in Roem. & Schult. 1819 Illecebrum maritimum Vill. 1801 Paronychia pubescens DC. in Lam. & DC. 1805 Paronychia glomerata Moench 1794 Chaetonychia paronychia (L.) Samp. Ferriera mediterranea Bubani Illecebrum argenteum Pourr. Illecebrum italicum Vill. Illecebrum narbonnense Vill. Illecebrum paronychia L. Plottzia paronychia (L.) Samp.Paronychia argentea en PlantList
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