Ruellia penduculata Torr. ex A. Gray ssp. pinetorum (Fernald) R.W. Long

Stalked wild petunia

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Stalked Wild Petunia is a native herbaceous perennial in the Acanthus family (Acanthaceae). It occurs primarily in south-central and southwest Alabama. Stalked Wild Petunia occurs in dry to wet pine flatwoods, on floodplains, on roadsides, and in prairies. It is a perennial with thick cord-like roots. The branched stems grow to a height of 4-12 inches. Several stems are often produced from the same rootstock. The stems are reddish in color and minutely pubescent. The stems have abundant cystoliths (enlarged epidermal cells containing calcium carbonate crystals) in streaks. Leaves are opposite, sessile or with very short petioles, ovate to elliptic in outline, pubescent, with entire margins. Flowers are solitary in the axils of the mid and upper leaves. Flowers have straight peduncles that are ½-1 inch in length. The calyx has 5 very long slender lobes and elongate cystoliths. The corolla is funnelform with 5 rounded lobes. The flowers are blue or lavender in color and only remain open for one day. However, the plant produces a succession of flowers from early summer through frost. Stalked Wild Petunia fruits are glabrous capsules that “explode” at maturity, scattering the seed.—A. Diamond

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Native

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