''Phyla lanceolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the
verbena family known by the common names lanceleaf fogfruit, fogfruit, or frogfruit. It is native to the southern half of North America, including much of the United States except for the northwestern quadrant, and much of Mexico. It is resident in many types of moist and wet habitat, including disturbed areas, such as
irrigation ditches
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been develop ...
. It is a perennial herb growing decumbent in a matlike form with spreading, trailing stems up to half a meter long, sometimes rooting at nodes. The lance-shaped or nearly oval leaves are up to 6 centimeters long and have toothed or partially toothed edges. The
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
, arising on a
peduncle several centimeters tall, is a spherical spike of flowers which elongates into a cylindrical form as the fruits develop. The tiny, densely packed flowers are white, sometimes tinged with blue or purple.
It is similar to the related species ''
Phyla nodiflora
''Phyla nodiflora'', the frog fruit, sawtooth fogfruit, or turkey tangle, is a flowering plant in the family Verbenaceae, and is native to the area from northern South America to southern United States. It can be found in tropical areas around th ...
'', but differs in having much longer and more pointed leaves. Both species are common as weeds and in the ornamental environment.
An older scientific name for this species is ''Lippia lanceolata'', and in some older references 'frogfruit' is provided as a common name.
The Acadian French name for the plant is "caille eau," stemming from the superstition that it can curdle water.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentKansas Wildflowers
lanceolata
Flora of North America
{{Verbenaceae-stub