Mecardonia acuminata (Walter) Small var. acuminata

Axil Flower; Blackening Hedge Hyssop

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Axil Flower is a native herbaceous perennial in the Plantain family (Plantaginaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Axil Flower grows in bogs, in seeps, in wet roadside ditches, and in wet prairies. It is a perennial with a taproot. Stems are glabrous, angled, and branched from near the base. Leaves are opposite, sessile, oblanceolate to elliptic in outline, with toothed margins above the middle. The leaves are thick and stiff. Flowers are solitary from the leaf axils. The peduncles are as long or longer than the subtending leaf, with two bracts at their base. There are 5 linear-lanceolate sepals. The corolla is personate (shaped like a face) with 5 lobes. The corolla is white with faint lavender markings near the base. The fruit is a capsule with many small seed. Plants turn black when damaged.--A. Diamond

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Native

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