Paronychia argentea Lam.

Spice Detail flower In the field

Family: CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Genus: Paronychia

Catalan common name: Arrecada. Arrecadeta. Paroníquia argentada. Sanguinària. Sanguinària blanca.

Spanish common name: Asperilla. Nevadilla. Sanguinaria menor.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Paleotropical

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Therophytic calicole fields. Cultivated fields, path and road sides.

Characteristics: A small herbaceous plant with a woody trunk, which extends its branches laterally along the ground, generally found in the garrigue clearings and along roadsides. Leaves are opposite and compact. Flowers are grouped in glomerules at the branch extremes; each flower is encircled by very characterise, papery-fine leaves. Can be differentiated from Paronychia capitata, which lives in the same habitats, by the details of the flower formation. Flowers at the beginning of spring.