green carpet, Herniaria glabra

Green carpet, or should we call it by its traditional name, rupturewort? Hmmm. I think we know why the garden centers that sell it use the first moniker. Turns out this was formerly used to treat arthritis, gout, and urinary and respiratory problems. Still regarded as useful in those cases, but no longer for hernias. These days you will find it at nurseries, where it's sold as a ground cover. Nursery plants are mostly green, but wild ones I've seen tend toward this yellow tint. Green carpet has now been reported wild from MD, ME, MI, NJ, NY, PA, UT, ON, and QC. Marquette Co MI, 7/12/11. Pink family, Caryophyllaceae.