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Acanthaceae
Justicia

not marked as a favorite taxon Justicia americana (Linnaeus) Vahl. Common name: American Water-willow. Phenology: (Apr-) Jun-Oct. Habitat: River and stream beds, in shallow water, often rooted in rocky shallows. Distribution: W. QC west to s. MI and NE, south to sw. GA, Panhandle FL, and s. TX; COA and CHH.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, Fl6, GrPl, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, Mo2, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Ok, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Daniel (2013), Long (1970), Wasshausen (1998); = Dianthera americana L. — POWO, S; > Justicia americana (L.) Vahl var. americana — F, G; > Justicia americana (L.) Vahl var. subcoriacea Fernald — F, G; > Justicia mortuifluminis Fernald — F. Basionym: Dianthera americana L. 1753

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
  • Great Plains: OBL
  • Midwest: OBL
  • Northcentral & Northeast: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 8

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image #1 of Justicia americana© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Justicia americana© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Justicia americana© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Justicia americana© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Justicia americana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Justicia americana© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #7 of Justicia americana© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image #9 of Justicia americana© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Justicia americana© Alan Cressler: Justicia americana, New River, Sandstone Falls, New River Gorge National River, Raleigh and Summers Counties, West Virginia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Rhizomatous, colonial perennial of shallow water in river and stream beds.

Stems: Stems mostly simple, smooth, often rooting at nodes.

Leaves: Leaves opposite and ascending, sessile or short petiolate, narrowly elliptic and tapering to a long wedge-like base, to 5 or more in. long, margins entire.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in dense, short spikes arising from upper leaf axils, in opposite pairs on the spike; white to pale violet-pink; bilaterally symmetric and tubular, but deeply cleft into 4-5 parts, the upper lip recurved and lower lip 3-lobed, marked with purple.

Fruits: Fruit a stalked, club-shaped capsule.

Comments:

Height: 1-3 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Rhizomatous, colonial perennial of shallow water in river and stream beds.

stems: Stems mostly simple, smooth, often rooting at nodes.

leaves: Leaves opposite and ascending, sessile or short petiolate, narrowly elliptic and tapering to a long wedge-like base, to 5 or more in. long, margins entire.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in dense, short spikes arising from upper leaf axils, in opposite pairs on the spike; white to pale violet-pink; bilaterally symmetric and tubular, but deeply cleft into 4-5 parts, the upper lip recurved and lower lip 3-lobed, marked with purple.

fruits: Fruit a stalked, club-shaped capsule.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: eastern North America



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