Phyla canescens

[hide]Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Lippia nodiflora, Michx. (Verbena nodiflora, Linn. Zapania nodifldra, Lam. Phyla nodifldra, Greene). Sometimes described as annual, but probably perennial, extensively creeping and rooting but with ascending branches, greenish or grayish: lvs. opposite, cuncate-spatulate to oblanceolate, nearly or quite sessile, tapering to a long entire base, serrate above the middle: heads ovoid and becoming nearly cylindrical, on filiform peduncles that exceed the lvs., the bracts obovate or irregularly cuneate, acuminate and sometimes mucronate; fls. rose-purple to nearly white, the corolla short; calyx thin in texture, equaling corolla, unevenly cleft on the two sides, the teeth lanceolate; bracts of fl.-head about as long as corolla-tube, with glabrous or nearly glabrous hyaline margins. Sandy soil, Ga., south (in the tropics widely distributed); in Calif, prominent on river banks, and, according to Jepson, esteemed for holding levees against erosion. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

[hide]Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Lippia canescens, Kunth (L. repens, Hort., not Spreng.). St. somewhat woody at the base and rooting, widely spreading, canescent: lvs. small, from spatulate to oblong and lanceolate, attenuate to petiole, acute, dentate toward apex: heads ovoid or subcylindrical; the bracts herbaceous, oboyate-cuneate, acuminate, narrowly membranous-margined, imbricated; corolla conspicuously larger than in related species, rosy, with a yellow throat; calyx short 2-toothed, with villous keels; bracts of fl.-head shorter than the corolla-tube, with villous margins. S. Amer., in dry, grassy places. —This plant, under the name of L. repens, is exceedingly useful in Calif, as a ground-cover, especially to persons who do not care to go to the expense of keeping up a grass-lawn. The tops sometimes freeze in the region of San Francisco, but the plants come on well in spring. By keeping the area mown, the weeds are not very troublesome. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.