Illustrator: Barbara Alongi

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Herbs, erect or decumbent, to 6 dm, unbranched, with short reproductive branches or with branches arising from prostrate stems. Stems green to brown, with long, jointed hairs; thorns 1 or 2 per node, rarely absent, 5–12 × 0.6–1.2 mm. Leaf blades lanceolate, 4–10 × 1–2.5 cm, base attenuate to acute, mar­gins entire or serrulate, surfaces hairy, with occa­sional long trichomes restricted to veins. Inflo­res­­cences axillary, fasciculate, 1–10-flowered, or on short, leafy branches. Flowers: sepals lanceolate, 6–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm, with long, jointed hairs; corolla blue, rarely white, petals 8–11 × 3.5–6 mm; ovary glabrous; styles 2, 3.5–5 mm, glabrous. Capsules globose, 5.5–7 × 5–7 mm, glabrous. Seeds cylindric, 0.6–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm. 2n = 20.

Phenology: Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat: Pond margins, stream banks and mudflats.
Elevation: 30–400 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Va.

Discussion

In morphology, Hydrolea quadrivalvis is closest to H. uniflora but differs in having long, jointed hairs on stems and sepals.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.