| Ruellia caroliniensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Acanthaceae |
| Genus: | Ruellia |
| Species: | R. caroliniensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ruellia caroliniensis | |
Ruellia caroliniensis, the Carolina wild petunia, is a wild petunia of the family Acanthaceae native to the southeastern United States. [1] It's native range spans the eastern coast with the northernmost extent reaching New Jersey [2]
Ruellia caroliniensis is a herbaceous perennial with purple or pinkish flowers that vary in shade. [3] The plants grow to be up to 3 feet tall and have crowded, opposite, lanceolate to elliptic leaves. [3] The root system is fibrous and thick. [4] The flowers grow in axillary clusters of 2-4 and have long, funnelform corollas with five distinct lobes and grow from. [4] [5] The plant begins blooming in spring and continues through summer, each bloom lasting for about one day. [6] Typically not all flowers in a cluster will be open at one time. [5] It can be distinguished form other species in the Ruellia genus by long, pointed calyx lobes and bracts that remain as the flowers wilt. [3] [6]
The genus Ruellia is named after French botanist Jean Ruel, who is known for his translating of botanical publications into Latin in the early sixteenth century. [6] Caroliniensis is a latinized word meaning "of the Carolinas", [6] referring to its native range or location of discovery.
The common name "petunia" is derived from the obsolete French word petun, meaning "tobacco". [7]
Synonyms of Ruellia caroliniensis include Pattersonia caroliniensis, Ruellia caroliniensis var. caroliniensis, and Ruellia caroliniensis var. typica. [8]
After pollination, a seed capsule forms at the leaf axil where the flower originated. [6] The seeds of Ruellia caroliniensis are dispersed through explosive dehiscence. When the seed capsules of the plant reach maturity (after about two months), they burst open propelling the seeds away from the parent plant. [6]
Ruellia caroliniensis attracts a variety of pollinators, particularly lepidopterans. [9] It is a larval host for the common buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) and the white peacock butterfly (Anartia jatrophae). [10]
The strong, woody root system allows for resilience from frost or wildfire. [6]
Aquilegia coerulea, the Colorado columbine, Rocky Mountain columbine, or blue columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Rocky Mountains and some of the surrounding states of the western United States. It is the state flower of Colorado. The Latin specific name coerulea means "sky blue".
Eryngium yuccifolium, known as rattlesnake master, button eryngo, and button snake-root, is a perennial herb of the parsley family native to the tallgrass prairies of central and eastern North America. It grows from Minnesota east to Ohio and south to Texas and Florida, including a few spots in Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.
Ruellia is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias. They are not closely related to petunias (Petunia) although both genera belong to the same euasterid clade. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle (1474–1537), herbalist and physician to Francis I of France and translator of several works of Dioscorides.
Anartia jatrophae, the white peacock, is a species of butterfly found in the southeastern United States, Central America, and throughout much of South America. The white peacock's larval hosts are water hyssop, lemon bacopa, tropical waterhyssop, frogfruit, lanceleaf frogfruit, and Carolina wild petunia . The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks.
Ruellia brevifolia, the tropical wild petunia or red Christmas pride, is an ornamental plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to South America, from Colombia to southern Brazil and northern Argentina.
Ruellia humilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to the eastern United States. It is grown as an ornamental plant.
Phlox pilosa, the downy phlox or prairie phlox, is an herbaceous plant in the family Polemoniaceae. It is native to eastern North America, where it is found in open areas such as prairies and woodlands.
Lonicera sempervirens is a flowering plant species of honeysuckle vine native to the eastern United States which is known for its reddish flowers.
Lobelia siphilitica, the great blue lobelia, great lobelia, or blue cardinal flower, is a plant species within the family Campanulaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial dicot native to eastern and central Canada and United States. There are two recognized varieties of Lobelia siphilitica, var. siphilitica and var. ludoviciana. Blooming from August to October, it is short-lived, lasting only for a few years.
Tradescantia virginiana, the Virginia spiderwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Commelinaceae. It is the type species of the genus Tradescantia, native to the eastern United States. Common names include Virginia spiderwort, common spiderwort, lady’s tears, and spider lily.
Geranium carolinianum is a species of geranium known by the common name Carolina crane's-bill, or Carolina geranium. This species is native to North America, where it is widespread and grows in many types of habitat. There are two varieties; Geranium carolinianum var. carolinianum and the Geranium carolinianum var. sphaerospermum. This is a summer or winter annual herb. It can be considered invasive depending on the region, when it is found in the United States it is considered to be native.
Veronica serpyllifolia, the thyme-leaved speedwell or thymeleaf speedwell, is a perennial flowering plant in the plantain family. The species as a whole is native mostly to Eurasia & North America, and has three variants with their individual ranges; var. serpyllifolia has particularly spread beyond its native range.
Aquilegia chrysantha, the golden columbine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The plant, with a height of between 40 centimetres (16 in) and 120 centimetres (47 in), has yellow flowers. A. chrysantha. as with other members of the Aquilegia coerulea species complex, is evolved for pollination by hawkmoth. It favors moist environments in its mountainous range.
Frasera speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family (Gentianaceae) known by the common names elkweed, monument plant, and green gentian. When blooming it grows a tall stalk with numerous flowers that have purple dotted green petals. Each plant can flower just once before it dies.
Trautvetteria caroliniensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae native to North America. It is known by the common names Carolina bugbane, false bugbane, and tassel-rue. The genus is named for the botanist Ernst Rudolf von Trautvetter.
Frasera caroliniensis, commonly known as American columbo or yellow gentian, is a herbaceous perennial of the gentian family Gentianaceae found in the deciduous forest of Southern Ontario and throughout the eastern and southeastern United States. It was previously known as Swertia caroliniensis.
Chelone obliqua, the red turtlehead, rose turtlehead or pink turtlehead, is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. This uncommon wildflower is endemic to the United States, where it is found in the Midwestern and southeastern states.
Aletris obovata is a plant species native to the southeastern United States.
Ruellia noctiflora, the nightflowering wild petunia, is a herbaceous perennial found along the Gulf coast. Both its specific and common names derive from its habit of nocturnal flowering. In spite of the common name it is in a different family from the garden petunia.
Ruellia strepens, commonly known as limestone wild petunia, limestone ruellia, smooth wild petunia, or wild petunia is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae, native to warmer parts of the central and eastern United States. A perennial herb, it prefers to grow in moist to mesic, partly shady areas such as streamsides and bottomland forests. In the garden it is hardy to USDA zone 5, and can tolerate nearly full shade.
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