Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for West Indian Meadow-beauty - Rhexia cubensis   Grisebach
Members of Rhexia with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Myrtales » Family Melastomataceae
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AuthorGrisebach
DistributionPresent over the southern coastal counties, and slightly inland, ranging from Carteret and Sampson counties to the SC border.

This is a Southern Coastal Plain species ranging from southeastern NC to southern FL, and west to eastern LA.
AbundanceLocally uncommon to fairly common in areas with limesink ponds, though generally rare over the range as a whole. The NCNHP tracked the species as Significantly Rare until a few years ago, but has demoted it to Watch List now.
HabitatIn NC, most locations for the species are in limesink ponds, though it does occur in other ephemeral pools, though not in clay-based Carolina bays (as with R. aristosa). Note that R. aristosa does occur in some limesink ponds.
PhenologyBlooms from June to September, and fruits shortly after flowering.
IdentificationThis is a Rhexia with quite narrow opposite leaves, growing along a stem that may have a few branches, and reaching about 1.5-2 feet tall. The leaves are one-nerved (one main vein), linear to narrowly elliptic, about 1.5 inches long and only 1/5-inch wide or less, somewhat hairy as is the stem, and mostly entire. The flowers grow from the branch ends or upper axils and are like others in the genus, being rose to pink, with the 4 rounded petals creating a spread flower about 1.5 inches across. This species has a long capsule, with an elongated neck (longer than the rounded body) and with many glandular hairs over the capsule. Normally, to identify this species, the narrow opposite leaves with just a single obvious vein, and growing in a limesink pond, should be this species. Check the capsule to be sure.
Taxonomic CommentsNone

Other Common Name(s)None
State RankS3
Global RankG4G5
State StatusW1
US Status
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BA SorrieSampson County, Cutgrass Bay, Sept 1992, common. SampsonPhoto_natural
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