Common name: Lippia, Carpet Weed, Frog fruit
Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene APNI* Synonyms: Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene var. nodiflora APNI*
Verbena nodiflora APNI*
Description: Perennial, prostrate creeping herb; stem much-branched, usually 30–90 cm long, with ± ascending flowering branches, often hairy.
Leaves with lamina usually obovate, spathulate or narrow-ovate, 1–6(-7) cm long, 3–7(-10) mm wide, ± fleshy, usually coarsely toothed in upper half, minutely pubescent or glabrous; petiole 1–8 mm long.
Inflorescence solitary in leaf axils; spikes very dense, many-flowered, 1–2.5(-3) cm long at maturity; peduncles axillary but only 1 to each pair of leaves, 1–11 cm long. Calyx 1.5–2 mm long. Corolla 2–3 mm diam., usually white to purplish white; limb at first white, afterwards lilac with a darker dot.
Fruit ellipsoid to globose, 1–2 mm long, splitting into 2 mericarps, each 1-seeded.
Flowering: mostly October–April
Distribution and occurrence: Occurs in coastal areas, as far south as Jervis Bay, also occurs along Murrumbidgee River near Balranald. Grows in moist or wet areas, from sea level to c. 1400 m altitude.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Other Australian states: *Qld *S.A. *W.A. *N.T.
Munir (1993) recognised this taxon as P. nodiflora var. nodiflora.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept: A.A. Munir (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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