Paronychia herniarioides, commonly called coastal plain nailwort, is a threatened species of herbaceous annual flowering plant endemic to the U.S. southeastern coastal plain in the states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Description Paronychia herniarioides' limbs range from in length. Its leaves are obtuse and oblong-elliptical to spatulate in shape. They are in length and between in width.Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-atlantic states. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Habitat It occurs in the exposed, sandy soils of the fire-dependent habitats of the southeast including sandhill and scrub. It is rare across its range, except for Florida where it is still uncommon.
Its rarity is exemplified by the fact that the only evidence of its existence in North Carolina for over 200 years was the type specimen found by Michaux until its recent rediscovery in Scotland County, NC.
Conservation This species is state-listed S1 (critically imperiled) in AL, SC, and NC.
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