Ruellia angustifolia
Encyclopedia
Britton's wild petunia or Mexican Bluebell (syn. Arrhostoxylum microphyllum, Blechum angustifolium (Sw.
) R.Br.
), Cryphiacanthus angustifolius Nees, Ruellia brittoniana Leonard
, Ruellia ignorantiae Herter
, Ruellia microphylla Lindau
, Ruellia spectabilis Britton
, Ruellia tweediana Griseb.
) is an ornamental plant
native of Argentina
, Cerrado
and Pantanal
vegetation
of Brazil
, Mexico
and Paraguay
.
Native to Mexico, it is naturalized in some areas of the Gulf South and in Texas
. It grows in nearly any soil, clay or sand, and tolerates wet or dry conditions. "Mexican petunia" has attractive dark-green foliage on fleshy stems.
Petunia-like flowers appear throughout the growing season, although the plant is not related to the common garden Petunia
. The species will grow as tall as three feet (1 m), while dwarf varieties can be kept at 8-10 inches tall.
Leaves of brittoniana are narrower than those of R. malacosperma. Another species, R. nudiflora or wild petunia, is not as tall or aggressive as brittoniana.
Olof Swartz
Olof Peter Swartz was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes...
) R.Br.
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
), Cryphiacanthus angustifolius Nees, Ruellia brittoniana Leonard
Leonard
-Fiction:*Leonard Hofstadter a character on The Big Bang Theory*Ego Leonard, a Lego-man from a virtual world. He is also the pseudonym for the unknown sculpture of three 8-foot tall Lego men.-Places:United States*Leonard, California...
, Ruellia ignorantiae Herter
Herter
Herter, a surname, may refer to:* Albert Herter, American painter; son of Christian, the furniture maker* Christian Archibald Herter , American politician; son of Albert, the painter...
, Ruellia microphylla Lindau
Lindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
, Ruellia spectabilis Britton
Britton
-Places:* Britton, Ontario, Canada* Britton, Michigan, U.S.* Britton, South Dakota, U.S.-Surname:* Andrew Britton , British-born American author* Brent Britton , American lawyer...
, Ruellia tweediana Griseb.
August Grisebach
August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
) is an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
native of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
and Pantanal
Pantanal
The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and one of the world's largest wetland of any kind. Most of it lies within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay, sprawling over an area estimated at between and...
vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
Ruellia brittoniana
Ruellia brittoniana is a tough, drought-resistant plant with a long bloom period. It is a smooth-textured herbaceous perennial (evergreen), and is often arranged in garden borders or in the middle and back of garden beds.Native to Mexico, it is naturalized in some areas of the Gulf South and in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It grows in nearly any soil, clay or sand, and tolerates wet or dry conditions. "Mexican petunia" has attractive dark-green foliage on fleshy stems.
Petunia-like flowers appear throughout the growing season, although the plant is not related to the common garden Petunia
Petunia
Petunia is a widely cultivated genus of flowering plants of South American origin, closely related with tobacco, cape gooseberries, tomatoes, deadly nightshades, potatoes and chili peppers; in the family Solanaceae. The popular flower derived its name from French, which took the word petun, meaning...
. The species will grow as tall as three feet (1 m), while dwarf varieties can be kept at 8-10 inches tall.
Leaves of brittoniana are narrower than those of R. malacosperma. Another species, R. nudiflora or wild petunia, is not as tall or aggressive as brittoniana.