Sophronanthe pilosa

Sophronanthe pilosa
Photo by Mason Brock
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Scrophulariales
Family:	Plantaginaceae
Genus:	Sophronanthe
Species:	S. pilosa
Binomial name
Sophronanthe pilosa Michx.
Natural range of Sophronanthe pilosa from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: shaggy hedgehyssop

Synonym: Gratiola pilosa

Description

This description came from Gratiola pilosa in Radford (1964) and S. pilosa was listed as a synonym. "Leaves opposite, sessile, often obscurely to strongly glandular-punctate. Flowers solitary in the axils of leafy bracts, a pair of bractlets usually immediately below the calyx. Sepals 5, subequal; corolla small; the upper 2 stamens fertile, the lower 2 filaments rudimentary or absent, anther sacs usually transverse to flower axis, surpassed by expanded, membranous connective (or anthers normal in no. 1). Capsules ovoid to globose, glabrous." - Radford et al 1964

"Stiff, erect, usually unbranched perennials, 1-7 dm tall, the stem 1-2 mm in diam., pilose. Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.2-2 cm long, 5-11 mm wide; entire or irregularly serrate, pilose. Flowers sessile or subsessile, pedicels 1 mm or less long; sepals linear or linear-lanceolate, 3-7 mm long, subequal, pubescent, exceeded by the linear bractlets; corolla white or shaded with lavender, 6-8 mm long. Capsule conical, 4-5 mm long." - Radford et al 1964

Ecology

Habitat

This species usually grows in wet areas near the borders of swamps, bogs, ponds, and within floodplains (FSU Herbarium). S. pilosa has also been spotted in open scrub, moist pine barrens, pine flatwoods, live oak hammocks, and turkey oak-longleaf pine-blackjack oak woods (FSU Herbarium). It has been observed to grow in drying and moist loamy sands, sandy peat, and wet peat (FSU Herbarium). This species also occurs in human disturbed areas such as trails, planted slash pine woods near powerline corridors, roadsides, old pastures, swamp clearings, bog clearings, woodland clearings, flatwood clearings, disturbed cypress domes, and ditches (FSU Herbarium). Associated species includes Pinus, Hypericum, Magnolia, Nyssa, Pinchkneya, Liquidambar, Quercus virginiana, Justicia, Calopogon, Habernaria, Eriocaulon, Carex, Quercus falcata, Pinus palustris, Pinus elliottii, Quercus nigra, Gordonia lasianthus, Cyrilla, Magnolia virginiana, and Quercus marilandica (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

This plant has been observed flowering from May through August and fruiting from June through November (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

Has been found to occur in annually burned boggy draws in pinelands (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, A. H. Curtiss, Robert K. Godfrey, Grady W. Reinert, O. Lakela, J. N. Triplett, Jr., C. Jackson, Robert Kral, Mabel Kral, Grady W. Reinert, Robert L. Lazor, A. G. Shuey, R. A. Norris, and R. F. Doren. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Clay, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jackson, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Okaloosa, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Taylor, and Wakulla. Georgia: Thomas.

Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 940. Print.