Ammannia coccinea
Encyclopedia
Ammannia coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the loosestrife family
known by several common names, including valley redstem, scarlet toothcup, and purple ammannia. It is native to most of the contiguous United States, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest
and New England
. It is generally found in moist areas, such as riverbanks and pond margins. It is weedy in some areas. This is an annual herb growing erect to heights approaching one meter or lying along the ground. Leaves are linear in shape, up to 8 centimeters long, and green to shades of deep red in color. The inflorescence
is a cluster of 3 to 5 flowers growing in the leaf axils along the upper part of the stem. The rounded flower has small rose to lavender petals each a few millimeters long and protruding stamen
s with yellow anthers. The fruit is a rounded capsule up to half a centimeter wide containing many tiny seeds.
Lythraceae
Lythraceae are a family of flowering plants. It includes about 620 species of mostly herbs, with some shrubs and trees, in 31 genera. Major genera include Cuphea , Lagerstroemia , Nesaea , Rotala , and Lythrum...
known by several common names, including valley redstem, scarlet toothcup, and purple ammannia. It is native to most of the contiguous United States, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. It is generally found in moist areas, such as riverbanks and pond margins. It is weedy in some areas. This is an annual herb growing erect to heights approaching one meter or lying along the ground. Leaves are linear in shape, up to 8 centimeters long, and green to shades of deep red in color. The inflorescence
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. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a cluster of 3 to 5 flowers growing in the leaf axils along the upper part of the stem. The rounded flower has small rose to lavender petals each a few millimeters long and protruding stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s with yellow anthers. The fruit is a rounded capsule up to half a centimeter wide containing many tiny seeds.