''Cuphea lanceolata'', also known as the cigar flower, is an
annual
Annual may refer to:
* Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
**Yearbook
** Literary annual
* Annual plant
* Annual report
* Annual giving
* Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
* Annuals (b ...
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the genus ''
Cuphea
''Cuphea'' is a genus containing about 260 species of annual and perennial flowering plants native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species range from low-growing herbaceous plants to semi-woody shrubs up to tall. Com ...
'' of the family
Lythraceae
Lythraceae is a family of flowering plants, including 32 genera, with about 620 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees. The larger genera include ''Cuphea'' (275 spp.), ''Lagerstroemia'' (56), ''Nesaea'' (50), ''Rotala'' (45), and ''Lythrum'' (35). ...
.
Description
''Cuphea lanceolata'' reaches on average a height of . It has a branched stem with opposite, narrow, up to 7 cm long leaves. The flowers are tubular, dark-lilac or cherry-red, with six petals. The two upper petals are large and ear-shaped, while the others are quite small. The flowering period extends from June through August. The fruit is a capsule.
Distribution
This species is native to north and central
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
Habitat
This tropical plant prefers hot, humid weather and rich, well drained soils in full sun.
Gallery
File:Cuphea lanceolata 02.jpg, Plant of ''Cuphea lanceolata''
File:Lythraceae - Cuphea lanceolata-1.JPG, Flowers of ''Cuphea lanceolata''
File:Lythraceae - Cuphea lanceolata-3.JPG, Flower of ''Cuphea lanceolata''
File:Cuphea lanceolata Prague 2011 1.jpg, Plants of ''Cuphea lanceolata''
References
Biolib
External links
Rare Plants
lnceolata
{{Myrtales-stub