Hexastylis arifolia | |
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The appearance of the flowers of Hexastylis arifolia, growing near the ground at the base of the plant, give it the common name "little brown jug". | |
Secure (NatureServe) |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Magnoliids |
Order: | Piperales |
Family: | Aristolochiaceae |
Genus: | Hexastylis |
Species: | H. arifolia |
Binomial name | |
Hexastylis arifolia (Michx.) Small |
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Synonyms | |
Asarum arifolium Michx. 1803 |
Asarum arifolium Michx. 1803
Hexastylis arifolia, or the little brown jug, is a perennial wildflower in the family Aristolochiaceae found in the southeastern United States, from Louisiana to Virginia, inland as far as Kentucky. It is considered a threatened species in Florida.
Hexastylis arifolia is an evergreen, perennial herb with no above-ground stems, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. Leaves are hairless, of two sorts. Small, scale-like leaves adhere to the underground rhizomes, while larger green, heart-shaped leaves emerge above ground. Flowers are formed one at a time, on the ends of the rhizomes.