About Floerkea proserpinacoides Willd.
Floerkea is a monotypic plant genus in the meadowfoam family, with just one species: Floerkea proserpinacoides Willd. This species has three common names: false mermaid, false mermaidweed, and floerkea. This small wildflower is native to much of North America, where it grows in moist locations including shady forests. It is a fleshy annual herb with short stems that can lie flat on the ground, tangle into a clump, or grow somewhat upright. Its foliage is hairless and shiny. Its leaves are divided into multiple oval-shaped, pointed leaflets that reach up to 2 cm (0.79 in) in length. Each flower forms a cup of pointed green sepals, and holds three tiny white spoon-shaped petals plus a set of stamens with yellow anthers. Two to three bumpy, spherical nutlet fruits grow in the center of the flower. In Vermont, this species had not been observed after 1916 until it was rediscovered there in May 2024. A drawing of a Floerkea flower serves as the logo for the Flora of North America. The genus was named to honor German botanist Heinrich Gustav Flörke.
