Cuphea viscosissima

Cuphea viscosissima
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Cuphea
Species:
C. viscosissima
Binomial name
Cuphea viscosissima
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Cuphea petiolata (L.) Koehne
  • Lythrum petiolatum L.
  • Parsonsia petiolata (L.) Rusby
Wikispecies has information related to Cuphea viscosissima.

Cuphea viscosissima, also known as blue waxweed,[3][4] clammy cuphea or (ambiguously) as "tarweed",[1][5] is an herbaceous plant in the loosestrife family. It native to the eastern United States,[6] where it is most often found in open, rocky calcareous areas.[7][8] It is the most common and widespread Cuphea in the U.S.[9]

This species is notable for its sticky stems. It produces a purple-red flower in late summer.[10] Flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.[8]

This species is morphological similar to Cuphea lanceolata, which is found in Mexico. It can be distinguished from Cuphea lanceolata by its smaller flower.[9]

  1. ^ a b "Cuphea viscosissima". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  2. ^ "Cuphea viscosissima". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved October 25, 2007.
  3. ^ Blanchan, Neltje (2002). Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
  4. ^ Cuphea viscosissima at USDA PLANTS Database
  5. ^ Cuphea viscosissima at Plants For A Future
  6. ^ "Cuphea viscosissima". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States". Archived from the original on 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  8. ^ a b Missouri Botanical Garden
  9. ^ a b Graham, Shirley (1988). "Revision of Cuphea Section Heterodon (Lythraceae)". Systematic Botany Monographs. 20: 1–168. doi:10.2307/25027697. JSTOR 25027697.
  10. ^ "Missouri Plants". Archived from the original on 2015-08-31. Retrieved 2017-01-21.