| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | Essentially throughout the state, but sparingly found in the eastern counties and in the Mountains and foothills.
This is a wide-ranging species, ranging from eastern Canada south to the FL Panhandle and eastern TX. | |
| Abundance | Fairly common in the western and central Coastal Plain, but scarce in the Sandhills and the far eastern counties. Fairly common in the Piedmont, except for uncommon in the foothills and Mountains. | |
| Habitat | This is a wetland species, growing in bottomlands, swamp openings, floodplain pools, ditches, seeps, and partly shaded marshes. |
| Phenology | Blooms from June to October, and fruits shortly after flowering. | |
| Identification | This is a rather robust herb, with numerous branches, growing to 1.5-2 feet tall. It has alternate leaves, lanceolate to elliptical, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, with finely serrated margins. The inflorescences are at the branch ends, each with about 3 divergent and slender branches, each about 2 inches long, containing small whitish flowers on the tops of the branches. Without the flower clusters, this species can be tricky to identify, but the clusters of flowers on just the tops of the diverging branches should end any uncertainties, especially as it is the only member in its family (other than one other species in eastern Asia). | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | American Penthorum | |
| State Rank | S4 [S5] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | OBL link |
| USACE-emp | OBL link |
