Author | (Shinners) Terrell | |
Distribution | Discovered by Brian England in 2017-18 in Wake County (fide Weakley 2018); photos have been added to this website, and a specimen now is present at NCU. Another specimen, from 2023, was collected by Becky Dill in Anson County; a third locality is Coats Park in Harnett County, collected by Mark Basinger in March 2024. A fourth county record was photographed (specimen to be deposited at NCU) by Mark Basinger at Avents Ferry boatv ramp, Chatham County, 12 March 2025. To be looked for elsewhere, as it is probably easily passed over as a white-flowered H. pusilla.
Native west of the Appalachians from TN to MO, south to northwestern FL and eastern TX. Adventive in central NC. | |
Abundance | Very rare, but apparently increasing in the lower Piedmont. | |
Habitat | "Roadsides and other disturbed areas." "edge of parking lot". "boat ramp". In its native range, it is found in sandy soils, around flatrocks, and other sunny and sandy places. | |
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting February-April. | |
Identification | This tiny species is very similar to H. pusilla, but the corollas are white and 2.0-5.5 mm long (vs. corollas lavender or blue-violet and 3.5-10 mm in H. pusilla). Also, H. micrantha has calyx lobes about as long as the corolla tube, at times visible from above; H. pusilla has short calyx lobes. | |
Taxonomic Comments | | |
Other Common Name(s) | | |
State Rank | SE | |
Global Rank | G4G5 | |
State Status | | |
US Status | | |
USACE-agcp | | |
USACE-emp | | |