Taxonomy
Family: Acanthaceae
Habitat
Muddy shores, mudflats, shallow water.
Associates
Distribution
Quebec to MI, WI, south to GA, KS, and TX.
Morphology
Colonial, rhizomatous perennial to 1 m. Leaves opposite, linear to lanceolate, entire, glabrous. Flowers opposite, in head-like, axillary spikes on long peduncles; calyx lobes narrow; corolla pale violet to white, two-lipped; upper lip concave; lower lip spreading or deflexed, the lobes about equal to or longer than the tube. Seeds two per locule, rough, 3 mm wide.
Notes
Flowers June to August
Wetland indicator: Obligate
Can form sizable vegetative colonies.
References
Gleason, Henry A.
and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States
and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Swink, F. and G.
Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
Michael Hough © 2009 |