Ruellia nudiflora (Engelm. & A. Gray) Urb.

Violet Wild Petunia

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Violet Wild Petunia is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Acanthus family (Acanthaceae). It is native to Texas, Arizona, and Mexico. It Alabama it can be found in the southern half of the state. Violet Wild Petunia occurs on roadsides and in other disturbed habitats. It is a perennial with a hardened crown at the base. Stems are 1-2 feet tall, erect to ascending, branched, green in color, and pubescent with long straight hairs. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, oblong to ovate in outline, and pubescent. The blade tissue is decurrent along the petiole. Flowers are produced in terminal panicles. The calyx has a short tube and 5 long attenuate lobes. The lobes are glandular pubescent. The corolla is funnelform with 5 rounded lobes. The corolla is purple-blue in color. Corollas are easily detached. The fruit is an elongate pubescent capsule. The capsules are explosively dehiscent when mature.--A. Diamond

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Not Native

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