Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Myrtales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cuphea viscosissima
FAMILY
Lythraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Clammy Cuphea at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cuphea viscosissima
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cuphea viscosissima
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Cuphea viscosissima
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 135-06-001:
Cuphea viscosissima FAMILY Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Cuphea petiolata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Parsonsia petiolata
COMMON NAME:
Clammy Cuphea, Blue Waxweed
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_cuvi_006_lvd
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_pape9_001_lvd
)
Jeff Ausmus jma_cupvis3
July Monroe County MI
In cultivation
Leaves are lance-shaped to oval, 3/4-2" long, and covered with sticky hairs, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
)
Jeff Ausmus jma_cupvis4
July Monroe County MI
In cultivation
Stems have a purple cast and are covered with sticky hairs, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
)
Jeff Ausmus jma_cupvis5
July Monroe County MI
In cultivation
Flowers purple-red, to 1.5" long, with 6 spreading petals of unequal size (2 long, 4 short), per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
)
Jeff Ausmus jma_cupvis
September Monroe County MI
In cultivation
Flowers solitary or paired in upper axils, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).
)
Jeff Ausmus jma_cupvis2
September Monroe County MI
In cultivation
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_c_viscosissima_blue_b
September
Calyx tube about 3/8" long, ribbed, lopsided. Petals emerge from its summit, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cuphea viscosissima
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cuphea viscosissima
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cuphea viscosissima
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Cuphea viscosissima
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 135-06-001:
Cuphea viscosissima
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Cuphea petiolata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Parsonsia petiolata
3613
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Dry or wet places, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in NC Mountains & NC Piedmont (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves have petioles.
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Magenta-purple
6-merous
6 petals (two large, four small)
12 inserted stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
Flowers in leaf axils
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p320
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p253
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p146
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p106
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".