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licorice-weed

Habit Annuals or perennials.
Stems

erect to ascending, usually much-branched distally, (17–)30–100(–150) cm, glabrous or puberulent.

Leaves

blade oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate or rhombic, 8–53 × 3–25 mm, base tapered to cuneate, margins crenate to dentate in distal 1/2.

Inflorescences

flowers 1 or 2(or 3) per axil;

bracts narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 4–35 mm.

Pedicels

2–10 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes 4, ovate to elliptic-ovate, 1.2–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm, margins ciliolate;

corolla white, sometimes tinged pink or lavender, 2–2.5 × 3–4 mm.

Capsules

ovoid to subglobose, (1.6–)2–2.5(–4) × 1.4–2 mm.

Seeds

0.1–0.3 mm.

2n

= 40 (India).

Scoparia dulcis

Phenology Flowering May–Nov(–Jan).
Habitat Marshes, wet hammocks, flatwoods, sandy woods, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands (Madagascar), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Scoparia dulcis is a pantropical weed. Noting that it was a widespread weed in lowland tropical America, F. W. Pennell (1935) believed that it was adventive in the United States. Most United States floras consider it to be native in the flora area, and it is treated that way here.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 276.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Scoparia
Sibling taxa
S. montevidensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 116. (1753)
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