Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Myrtales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Rhexia alifanus
FAMILY
Melastomataceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Smooth Meadowbeauty at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Our tallest and showiest Rhexia: the unbranched (unless injured), wand-like stems, with strongly ascending, bluish-green, waxy-smooth, and generally entire leaves make this species unmistakable, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhexia alifanus
FAMILY
Melastomataceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Rhexia alifanus
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 136-01-002:
Rhexia alifanus FAMILY Melastomataceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Rhexia alifanus
COMMON NAME:
Smooth Meadowbeauty, Savanna Meadowbeauty
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_rhal4_003_lvd
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Alan S. Weakley asw_636538401665388
April FL
Apalachicola National Forest
Leaves opposite, lance-shaped, bluish-green with 3 distinctive longitudinal veins, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
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JK Marlow s060423_a
April Berkeley County? SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Rhexia's hard, upright, urn-shaped capsules are highly distinctive, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).
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Will Stuart wil_540812451_ae8f0c9032
June Charleston County SC
Santee Coastal Reserve
Petals mostly 1"; 8 conspicuous stamens terminated by bright yellow anthers, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_rhexia_alifanus_4
July
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Will Stuart wil_rhexia_alifanus_055
July Richmond County NC
North Carolina Sandhills Gamelands
A recently burned longleaf savanna.
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_rhexia_alifanus_16
September
Anthers 5-11mm long, distinctly curved, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
JK Marlow jkm081009_064
October Dorchester County SC
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JK Marlow jkm161001_769
October Chesterfield County SC
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge
Allifae was a town in Italy where large drinking mugs were once made, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Rhexia alifanus
FAMILY
Melastomataceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhexia alifanus
FAMILY
Melastomataceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Rhexia alifanus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 136-01-002:
Rhexia alifanus
FAMILY
Melastomataceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Rhexia alifanus
2088
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: pine flatwoods and savannas, pocosin borders, more able to tolerate merely moist soils than other Rhexia species, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Pink/ Purplish
4-merous
4 petals
8 stamens
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p237
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006) p093
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p156
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p264
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p370
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p372
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p353
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p180
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p054
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p258
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p205
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