Plant Listings

Phyla stoechadifolia (L.) Small.

Common Names: Marsh Phyla

Family: Verbenaceae

Habit: Phyla stoechadifolia is a lax woody herb up to 0.5 m in height lying flat as it gets taller and rooting at the nodes. The leaves are arranged oppositely up to 8 cm in length, lanceolate/linear with serrate leaf margins.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are arranged in elongate heads forming a spike that arises from leaf axils on long peduncles (up to 15 cm in height). Each flower has an involucral bract. The calyx has 4 fused sepals forming a short tube. There are 4 white changing to purple, fused petals forming a tube with 5 lobes. The 4 stamens are fused to the corolla. The ovary is superior and has 2 locules. The fruit is a capsule.

Habitat: Phyla stoechadifolia grows in wet locations along the edges of ponds and Ephemeral Fresh Water Wetlands, Sabal palmetto savannahs and Human Altered environments.

Distribution: Phyla stoechadifolia occurs on all island groups with the Lucayan Archipelago as well as the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Phyla stoechadifolia is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.