About Paronychia argyrocoma (Michx.) Nutt.
Paronychia argyrocoma, commonly known as silvery nailwort or silverling, is a plant species native to the eastern United States. It has a disjunct distribution: populations occur in New England (including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts) and in the Appalachian Mountains of the Southeast (including Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland), but the species is not found in the intervening states of New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania. This species grows on rocky sites at elevations ranging from 200 to 1800 meters. Paronychia argyrocoma is a perennial herb with a woody caudex, and forms mats that can cover large areas of ground. Its stems range from prostrate to ascending, are highly branched, and can grow up to 60 cm long. Its leaves are leathery, lanceolate, and up to 3 cm long. Flowers are produced in glomerules (clumps) of up to 25 flowers; individual flowers are greenish-brown, covered with long silky hairs, and have spines on their calyx lobes.
