Rhexia petiolata Walter

Fringed Meadow Beauty; Ciliate Meadow Beauty; Short Stem Meadow Beauty

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Fringed Meadow Beauty is a native herbaceous perennial in the Melastome family (Melastomataceae). It is native to the southern third of Alabama. Fringed Meadow Beauty occurs in bogs, in seeps, in open wetlands, and in wet roadside ditches. It is a perennial with a fibrous root system. Stems are 3 inches-2 feet in height. The stems are usually unbranched, glabrous, green in color, 4-angled and slightly winged. Leaves are opposite, ovate to elliptic in outline, sessile or with short petioles, glabrous above but with long hairs along the margins. Flowers are terminal on short shoots from the axils of the upper leaves. The flowers have 4 triangular sepals and 4 pink-purple petals. The flowers generally face upwards, while in other Meadow Beauty species the flowers face outwards. The fruit is a vase shaped capsule. Fringed Meadow Beauty is one of our smaller species of Meadow Beauty, and can be easily overlooked. The petals are easily detached from the flower.--A. Diamond

**

Native FACW+ (NWPL)

**