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Melastomataceae
Rhexia

not marked as a favorite taxon Rhexia petiolata Walter. Common name: Ciliate Meadow-beauty, Short Meadow-beauty, Fringed Meadow-beauty. Phenology: May-Oct. Habitat: Wet pine flatwoods and savannas, pocosin borders, and ditches. Distribution: A Southeastern Coastal Plain endemic: se. Virginia south to s. Florida and west to se. Texas.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Other Comments: The flowers are sessile, the petals ascending.

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, Fl4, FNA10, G, GW2, K1, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, Tx, Va, WH3, Kral & Bostick (1969), Nesom (2012a); = Rhexia ciliosa Michx. — F, S, S13. Basionym: Rhexia petiolata Walter 1788

Links to other floras: = Rhexia petiolata - FNA10

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 8

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image #1 of Rhexia petiolata© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Rhexia petiolata© Floyd A. Griffith | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Rhexia petiolata© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Rhexia petiolata© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Rhexia petiolata© Floyd A. Griffith | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Rhexia petiolata© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect or ascending perennial of wet pine flatwoods and savannas, pocosin borders and ditches.

Stems: Stems 4-angled, narrowly winged, unbranched or forked above, and smooth.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, short-petiolate, broadly elliptic to oval, about 3/4 in. long, with 3 conspicuous veins and finely toothed, bristly margins; smooth or sparsely hairy and sometimes bristly above.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers single or in few-flowered terminal clusters, often upward pointing; purple to pink; to 1 1/2 in. wide; consisting of 4 petals arising from a glandular-bristly, urn-shaped tube and 8 stamens bearing straight, yellow anthers.

Fruits: Fruit a round capsule enclosed in the urn-shaped tube.

Comments:

Height: 6-20 in.

plant sale text: Smaller and less conspicuous than most other Rhexia species, usually no taller than 1 foot. Ciliate meadow-beauty lacks the protruding, bright yellow stamens that are typical of the genus. Preferred habitat is wet savannas, bogs and moist flatwoods of the coastal region. Members of this genus have a distinctive urn-shaped fruit that Thoreau once compared to a little cream pitcher.

bloom table text:

description: Erect or ascending perennial of wet pine flatwoods and savannas, pocosin borders and ditches.

stems: Stems 4-angled, narrowly winged, unbranched or forked above, and smooth.

leaves: Leaves opposite, short-petiolate, broadly elliptic to oval, about 3/4 in. long, with 3 conspicuous veins and finely toothed, bristly margins; smooth or sparsely hairy and sometimes bristly above.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers single or in few-flowered terminal clusters, often upward pointing; purple to pink; to 1 1/2 in. wide; consisting of 4 petals arising from a glandular-bristly, urn-shaped tube and 8 stamens bearing straight, yellow anthers.

fruits: Fruit a round capsule enclosed in the urn-shaped tube.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code: 2,4

native range: southeastern United States