About Gratiola pilosa Michx.
Species Nomenclature and Overall Habit
Gratiola pilosa Michx. is a stiff, erect, usually unbranched perennial herb that reaches 10–70 cm in height.
Stem Characteristics
Its stems are covered in soft hairs, and measure around 1–2 mm in diameter.
Leaf Arrangement and Shape
The leaves of this species are arranged oppositely, are stalkless, and range in shape from ovate to ovate-lanceolate.
Leaf Size and Margins
They are 1.2–2 cm long and 5–11 mm wide, with margins that are either entire or irregularly serrate.
Leaf Surface Features
The leaves are hairy and often marked with tiny glandular dots.
Inflorescence Arrangement
Flowers grow singly in the axils of leafy bracts, and typically have a pair of small bractlets positioned just below the calyx.
Flower Pedicel Traits
The flowers are sessile or nearly sessile, with pedicels less than 1 mm long.
Sepal Characteristics
The sepals are linear to linear-lanceolate, 3–7 mm long, covered in fine hairs, and nearly equal in size; they are usually shorter than the linear bractlets.
Corolla Traits
The corolla is small, 6–8 mm long, and white or pale lavender in color.
Stamen Morphology
The upper two stamens are fertile, while the lower two are underdeveloped or missing entirely.
Anther Features
The anthers are often oriented transversely, and may be capped with a membranous connective tissue.
Fruit Characteristics
The fruit is a smooth capsule, conical to globose in shape, that is 4–5 mm long.
Geographic Distribution
This plant occurs from New Jersey south to South Florida, west to East Texas, and extends north into the interior to Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma.
Habitat Preferences
It grows in wet pine savannas, marshes, and other wet habitats.
