*Paronychia brasiliana

Family Caryophyllaceae

Brazilian Whitlow

Prostrate herb with stem often knotted and woody.

Flowers: Small, without petals, almost concealed by reddish bracts.

Fruit: One-seeded, indehiscent capsule 1 mm long.

Seed: No specialised dispersal mechanism.

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

• Native of South America.
• Weed of grasslands and roadsides in full sun.
• Occasional weed at the Australian Botanic Garden.
• Seed reportedly eaten by Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans.

Asterisk * indicates exotic species naturalised at the Australian Botanic Garden.