Pattalias palustre (Pursh) Fishbein

Gulf Coast Swallow Wort

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Gulf Coast Swallow Wort is a native herbaceous perennial in the Dogbane family (Apocynaceae). It is native to coastal areas of Alabama. Gulf Coast Swallow Wort is found on dunes, in salt marshes, and in coastal hammocks. It is a perennial twining vine from thickened roots. The stems are up to 4 feet in length, sparsely pubescent when young but soon becoming glabrous, and green in color. Leaves are opposite, sessile, commonly reflexed, linear, entire, slightly succulent, and glabrous. Flowers are produced in 5-15 flowered axillary umbels. The calyx lobes are greenish-yellow, triangular, pubescent on their margins, and longer than the corolla. The corolla is white, sometimes tinged with pinkish-purple. The fruit is a slender, smooth follicle. Gulf Coast Swallow Wort is a host plant for Queen butterfly larvae (Danaus gilippus).—A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL)

Fishbein, M. 2017. Taxonomic adjustments in North American Apocynaceae. Phytologia 99: 86-88.