About Mecardonia acuminata (Walter) Small
Mecardonia acuminata (Walter) Small is an erect plant that grows 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 inches) tall. Its leaves are arranged oppositely along the stem, and range in shape from oblanceolate to elliptic. Leaves measure 1 to 4.5 cm (0.4 to 1.8 inches) long, and 5 to 12 mm (0.20 to 0.47 inches) wide. When blooming, M. acuminata produces flowers that are white, or have a lavender tint. The entire corolla can reach 7 to 11 mm (0.28 to 0.43 inches) in length. This species flowers from July to September, and bears fruit from August to October.
The native range of M. acuminata stretches from Delaware to peninsular Florida, and extends westward to eastern Texas. The United States Department of Agriculture classifies this species as a facultative wetland plant: this means it grows most often in wetland environments, but can also grow in non-wetland habitats. It has been recorded growing in marshes, wet pine savannas, and bottomland forests. In some parts of its native range, M. acuminata grows in low-fertility soils on terrain with little slope.
