Polycarpaea nivea

Polycarpaea nivea is a species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. The species was described by William Aiton in 1828 as Achyranthes nivea, and it was placed in the genus Polycarpaea by Philip Barker Webb in 1849.^[2] The specific name nivea is Latin for "white as snow", and refers to the colour of the plant.^[3]

Polycarpaea nivea
Polycarpaea nivea in the vicinity of El Médano on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Genus:	Polycarpaea
Species:	P. nivea
Binomial name
Polycarpaea nivea (Aiton, 1828) Webb
Synonyms
Achyranthes nivea Aiton Polycarpaea microphylla Cav. (1801) Illecebrum gnaphalodes Schousb. Polycarpaea gnaphalodes (Schousb.) Poir. (1816) Polycarpaea candida Webb & Berthel. (1840) Polycarpaea candida var. diffusa Pit. (1909) Polycarpaea candida var. pygmaea Pit. (1909) Polycarpaea candida var. webbiana Pit. (1909) Polycarpaea lancifolia Christ[1]

Description

It is a low plant with succulent, silvery, densely haired leaves.^[3]

Distribution

The species occurs in Mauritania, Morocco, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde.^[4]

Synonyms

• Achyranthes nivea Aiton - basionym
• Polycarpaea microphylla Cav. (1801)
• Illecebrum gnaphalodes Schousb.
• Polycarpaea gnaphalodes (Schousb.) Poir. (1816)
• Polycarpaea candida Webb & Berthel. (1840)
• Polycarpaea candida var. diffusa Pit. (1909)
• Polycarpaea candida var. pygmaea Pit. (1909)
• Polycarpaea candida var. webbiana Pit. (1909)
• Polycarpaea lancifolia Christ^[1]