Eremogone congesta

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.

Eremogone congesta
Arenaria congesta in Wenas Wildlife Area

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Eremogone
Species:
E. congesta
Binomial name
Eremogone congesta
(Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) Ikonn.
Synonyms

Arenaria congesta Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray

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.

References
  1. NatureServe (2024). "Eremogone congesta". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 18 January 2024.

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