ABSTRACT
Wildlife of Jordan is reported to contain more than 2500 plant species that includes about 100 endemic species, 250 rare species and 125 extremely rare species, and medicinal plants are estimated to comprise 35% of these species. Paronychia argentea is a perennial herbal plant that belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family and grows wild in Jordan. This species is used in medication for its therapeutic characteristics. Unfortunately, this plant species is neglected because it cultivates without any awareness in terms of investigation for culturing and proliferation. In Jordan, P. argentea L. is known as Rejelel-Al Hamama or Shoishet el-raei. In Jordan it grows in waste places, uncultivated fields, margins, and field borders. P. argentea has wide distribution in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Spain, Algeria, Portugal, and many other countries. In Jordan it grows in the governorates of Ajloun, Jarash, Amman, Karak, Tafila, Irbid and Al-Mfraq. Aerial parts of P. argentea are utilized for the treatment of “abdominal pain, respiratory infections and as an antistress agent, besides being used for stomach ulcers, bladder and prostate ailments, abdominal ailments and gastric analgesic.” P. argentea has been among the plants most used. P. argentea propagated by seeds or cutting are not favored because these result in a low germination percentage and root formation difficulties. For superior utilization and keeping from genetic corrosion mass production of this medicinal crop using in vitro could be the choices of this plant for propagation.
