Ballhead sandwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ballhead sandwort |
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| Arenaria congesta in Wenas Wildlife Area | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eremogone
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| Species: |
congesta
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| Synonyms | |
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Arenaria congesta Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray |
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Eremogone congesta is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name ballhead sandwort. It is native to western North America from central Canada to the American southwest.
Description
This is a perennial herb forming a tuft of slender upright stems up to about 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are needlelike to thready, up to 8 centimeters long and only a few millimeters wide. They may be fleshy or flat and they often have a very sharp tip. Most of the leaves are located in a patch at the base of the plant, and there are a few scattered along the mostly naked stem.
The inflorescence is an open or rounded cyme of five-petalled white flowers. The fruit is a toothed capsule containing several reddish seeds.
Uses
The plant was used for a variety of medicinal purposes by Native American groups, including the Shoshone.
See also
In Spanish: Eremogone congesta para niños
