Family: Caryophyllaceae
Author: Lam.
Bibliography: Encycl. 3: 124 (1789)
Year: 1789
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Herniaria
Vegetable: Unknown
Observations: Europe to Medit. and Turkmenistan
Description
Gray Rupturewort, scientifically known as Herniaria incana, is a perennial plant that belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. This hardy species is indigenous to a wide geographical range spanning from Europe through the Mediterranean regions and extending to Turkmenistan. Its natural habitat features sunny and dry environments where it thrives, often found amid rocky outcrops and gravelly soils.
Characterized by its dense, mat-forming growth habit, the Gray Rupturewort spreads outward, creating a low-growing carpet of greenery. The plant’s foliage consists of small, grayish-green leaves that are slightly hairy, giving the plant a distinctive grayish hue. The stems are usually slender and radiate outward close to the ground, intertwining to form a compact, resilient ground cover.
During the blooming season, Herniaria incana produces inconspicuous, tiny greenish-yellow flowers. These flowers are not particularly showy but contribute to the plant’s overall subtle charm. The blooms can often be overlooked due to their diminutive size, yet they play a crucial role in the plant’s reproductive cycle, attracting various pollinators to aid in fertilization.
Historically, Gray Rupturewort has been utilized in traditional medicine practices. It was commonly used for its purported therapeutic properties, especially in the treatment of hernias and ruptures, which is reflected in its common name. Although modern usage in herbal medicine has waned, its historical significance remains noted in botanical literature.
This resilient species was first documented in “Encycl. 3: 124” published in 1789 by the author Lam. Despite its understated appearance, Gray Rupturewort is a plant of considerable ecological and historical interest. Its adaptability to challenging growing conditions and its historical medicinal uses make it a fascinating subject of study for botanists and plant enthusiasts alike.
Common Names
Deu: graues bruchkraut
Eng: gray rupturewort
En: Gray rupturewort
Ca: Herniària incana
Fr: Herniaire blanchâtre
De: Graues Bruchkraut
He: דרכנית אפורה
It: Erniaria grigiastra
Synonyms
- Herniaria incana var. africana (Batt.)
- Paronychia incana ((Lam.) E.H.L.Krause)
- Herniaria multicaulis (Kit. ex Kanitz)
- Herniaria millegrana (Besser)
- Herniaria incana subsp. pauciflora ((Batt.) Maire)
- Herniaria incana var. latifolia (Fenzl)
- Herniaria hirsuta f. pauciflora (Batt.)
- Herniaria alpina (Loisel. ex DC.)
- Herniaria africana ((Batt.) Sennen & Mauricio)
- Herniaria densifora (F.N.Williams ex Post)
- Herniaria macrocarpa (Sm.)
- Herniaria incana var. angustifolia (Fenzl)
- Herniaria incana subsp. besseri ((Hornem.) Nyman)
- Herniaria besseri (Fisch. ex Hornem.)
Distribution
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Belarus (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- France (native)
- Greece (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Iran (native)
- Iraq (native)
- Italy (native)
- Krym (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Romania (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Turkmenistan (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Poland (introduced)
Additional Images
Other
Taken Aug 15, 2008 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Aug 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Aug 15, 2008 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Photoflora – L’Abbé COSTE (©)
Taken Jun 20, 2021 by Sylvain Piry (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jul 15, 2001 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Aug 15, 2007 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Jun 20, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Dominique DUVEAU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 20, 2021 by Sylvain Piry (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 23, 2009 by Tela Botanica − Jean-Claude CALAIS (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken May 29, 2021 by billur bahar (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 15, 2012 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Jun 20, 2021 by Sylvain Piry (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 20, 2021 by Sylvain Piry (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 20, 2011 by Tela Botanica − Mathieu MENAND (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jun 20, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Dominique DUVEAU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 15, 2021 by Ivan Perković (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 20, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Dominique DUVEAU (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 20, 2011 by Tela Botanica − Mathieu MENAND (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 2, 2019 by géo bio (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:434809-1)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3085799)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Herniaria incana Lam.)
