Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_2894.JPG-08-22-2019
Flower name (scientific): Lycopus virginicus Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) LIE-ko-pus (or LY-co-pus) ver-JIN-ih-kus
Flower name (common): Virginia Bugleweed
Family name (common): Mint
Family name (scientific): Lamiaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Greek words lykos meaning a wolf and pous meaning a foot, hence a wolf's foot. Referring to the supposed resemblance of the leaves of one of the species to a wolf's foot.
    Specific epithet: Of or from Virginia.
Common name origin: The provenance was a habitat in Virginia. Bugleweed is compounded from bugle + weed. Bugle as used here refers to a plant of the old world genus Ajuga, and has no apparent connection to the wind instrument.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 mm)
     Petal count: 4
     Color: white
     Other: flower arrangement, Whorl
Plant description:
     Size: 18 to 40 inches (46 to 102 cm)
     Stem hairy: glabrous to sparsely pubescent with short hairs.
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple and lobed. Lower leaves short petiolate, upper leaves becoming almost sessile. Leaf margin toothed upper two-thirds, entire for the lower third.
     Size: Leaves up to 10 cm long and up to 4 to 5 cm wide.
     Color: medium green
     Hairy: Upper surface glabrous, lower surface sparsely hairy along the principal vein.
     Other: Shape: leaf, lanceolate-ovate to ovate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): July to September
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Cliffs, meadows, woods, thickets, streambanks, marshes, swamps, shade or sun, moist soil.
Fruit: A group of 4 small nutlets in the shape of a square.
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Key distinguishing characteristics of the Lycopus species are the following. Lycopus americanus has deeply lobed lower leaves. Lycopus asper has unlobed, essentially stalkless, toothed lance-oblong leaves, and calyxes about the same length as the flower tube. Lycopus uniflorus has elliptic shaped toothed leaves with a short stalk, calyxes that are short (about 1 mm), and stems that are glabrous or minimally hairy. Lycopus virginicus has diamond-shaped leaves that are toothless near the stem, and calyxes that are shorter than the flower tube, and the stems are slightly pubescent. Plants of the genus Lycopus do not have a minty fragrance when the leaves are crushed, which can help in differentiating some of the mint species that have a resemblance.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes in Wisconsin. The Cherokee employed this plant as a snakebite remedy and for other purposes (Moerman, p. 324, 1998).
Latitude: 44.799908
Longitude: -91.508330
Altitude: 251.30
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Dodge, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Portage, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Washington, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (ON, QC) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s): na
Heterotypic Synonym(s): POwo lists 6 heterotypic synonyms for this species.
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): OBL
Wetland Status (MW): OBL