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granite hedge-hyssop

round-fruit hedge-hyssop, Virginia hedge-hyssop

Habit Annuals. Annuals.
Stems

erect, simple, sometimes few-branched, (7–)9–21(–29) cm, glabrous or glabrate proximally, glandular-puberulent distally.

ascending to erect, simple or few-branched, 4–50 cm, glabrous or glabrate proximally, glabrous or glandular-puberulent distally.

Leaves

blade lanceolate-ovate to oblong, not falcate, 6–13(–18) × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire or with 1 or 2(or 3) pairs of blunt teeth distally, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrate or glandular-puberulent.

blade lanceolate to elliptic or oblong-obovate, 15–70 × 5–25 mm, margins entire or with 1–4 pairs of blunt or sharp teeth distally, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous.

Pedicels

slender, (5–)8–17(–22) mm, length 0.9–2(–2.3) times bract, sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 2, 2–4.5 mm.

stout, 1–12 mm, length 0.1–0.3 times bract, glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 2, 2–6 mm.

Flowers

sepals distinct, lanceolate, 2–4.5 mm;

corolla 7–9 mm, tube and limb white tinged with pink or purple, veins lavender or purple;

style 1.9–2.2 mm.

sepals distinct, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or oblong, 4–7 mm;

corolla 8–15 mm, tube greenish white to greenish yellow or yellow, veins purple or brownish purple, limb white, sometimes tinged lavender;

style 2–4 mm.

Capsules

subglobular to ovoid, 2.5–3.6 × 2–3.7 mm.

subglobular, (3–)4–9 × 4–8 mm.

Seeds

0.3–0.5 mm.

0.7–0.8 mm.

2n

= 16.

Gratiola graniticola

Gratiola virginiana

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering Mar–Oct.
Habitat Seasonal pools on granite outcrops. Stream banks, swamps, floodplain pools and ponds, swamps.
Elevation 100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.) 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
GA; SC
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OH; OK; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV [Introduced in Mexico (Veracruz)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Gratiola graniticola is known from about a dozen counties in the southeastern piedmont of northern Georgia and north-central South Carolina, where it occurs only on granite flatrocks (D. Estes and R. L. Small 2007; D. F. Brunton 2009).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Some plants from tidal wetlands in Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia are purportedly relatively shorter in stature and bear shorter pedicels and smaller capsules than most plants of Gratiola virginiana. They have been treated as var. aestuariorum; the distinctness of var. aestuariorum has not been assessed in the context of morphological variation across the range of G. virginiana.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 267. FNA vol. 17, p. 269.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Gratiola Plantaginaceae > Gratiola
Sibling taxa
G. amphiantha, G. brevifolia, G. ebracteata, G. floridana, G. heterosepala, G. lutea, G. neglecta, G. quartermaniae, G. ramosa, G. torreyi, G. virginiana, G. viscidula
G. amphiantha, G. brevifolia, G. ebracteata, G. floridana, G. graniticola, G. heterosepala, G. lutea, G. neglecta, G. quartermaniae, G. ramosa, G. torreyi, G. viscidula
Synonyms G. virginiana var. aestuariorum
Name authority D. Estes: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 166, figs. 3A,D, 9. (2007) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 17; 2: 1200. (1753)
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