Ruellia simplex
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Ruellia Simplex 2024.jpg
|genus = Ruellia
|species = simplex
|authority = C.Wright
|synonyms = See text
}}
Ruellia simplex, the Mexican petunia, Mexican bluebell or Britton's wild petunia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae that is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It has become a widespread invasive plant in Florida, where it was likely introduced as an ornamental before 1933,{{cite web|url=http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/flip/plant.aspx?id=35|title=Ruellia simplex|work=FLIP (Florida Invasive Plants)|publisher=University of South Florida|access-date=5 September 2012}}{{GRIN | accessdate = 14 January 2018}} as well as in the eastern Mediterranean, South Asia and other parts of the eastern hemisphere.
Taxonomy and synonyms
Ruellia simplex C.Wright is the oldest and accepted name for this species, which has been variously called Ruellia angustifolia (Nees) Lindau, Ruellia brittoniana Leonard, and Cryphiacanthus angustifolius Nees, among several synonyms.{{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2420045|title=Ruellia simplex C.Wright|work=The Kew Plant List|access-date=5 September 2012}} The genus is named after French botanist Jean Ruel, while the specific name refers to the simple, not compound leaves.{{cite web|url=http://www.plantbook.org/plantdata/acanthaceae/ruellia_simplex.html|title=Ruellia simplex|work=Landscape Plants for South Florida|publisher=Palm Beach State College|access-date=5 September 2012}}
Description
Ruellia simplex is an evergreen perennial growing {{convert|3|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall, forming colonies of stalks with lance-shaped leaves that are {{convert|6|to|12|in|cm|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|.5|to|.75|in|cm|abbr=on}} wide.
The flowers are metallic blue to purple, trumpet-shaped with an about {{convert|2|in|cm|abbr=on}}-wide, five-lobed corolla. There is a dwarf variety that is only {{convert|1|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall.
Distribution
Ruellia simplex is native to Mexico, the West Indies, western Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. It has been widely used as an ornamental plant and has escaped from cultivation in the United States, Australia and parts of Asia, as well as several Pacific Islands. It is one of the most common landscape plants in Dubai, due to its drought-tolerance.{{cite web |url=https://www.picturethisai.com/region/flower/United-Arab-Emirates-Dubayy-Dubai.html|title=Top 20 Most Common Flower Plants in Dubai |website=Picture This |access-date=21 March 2024 }}
It has become invasive in some of these areas, forming dense, single-species stands of vegetation which threaten native plants. It is mainly a plant of wet places such as ditches, pond verges, lakesides and marshes, but can survive in drier conditions.{{cite web |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/110307 |title=Ruellia simplex (Mexican petunia) |author= |date= |work=Invasive Species Compendium |publisher=CABI |access-date=8 August 2020 }}
Control
The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is trying to reduce the number of home gardeners who plant R. simplex by recommending alternatives, especially Silphium asteriscus, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Stokesia laevis, but also including some R. simplex cultivars that are sterile.{{cite web | title=ENH1207/EP468: Alternatives to Invasive Plants Commonly Found in Central Florida Landscapes | website=Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) | publisher=Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), UF | date=2018-08-29 | url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ep468 | access-date=2021-10-06}}
File:Dwarf Mexican Petunia or Katie Pink or Katie Ruellia -- Ruellia simplex.jpg|Dwarf Mexican Petunia or Katie Pink or Katie Ruellia -- Ruellia simplex
File:Wild Petunia -- Ruellia Simplex.jpg|Wild Petunia—Ruellia Simplex
File:Ruellia simplex in Kadavoor.jpg|Ruellia simplex, pink
File:Ruellia simplex at Kadavoor.jpg|Ruellia simplex, white
File:Ruellia simplex 02.JPG|Trumpet shaped flowers
File:紫花蘆利草 20190805080221 01.jpg| Leaves and stem
File:Flowers - Mexican Petnuia - Plant with blooms.jpg|Blooms often fall within hours.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Ruellia simplex}}
- [http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=1302 Ruellia simplex in Florida.] Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants.
- [http://www.ipni.org/ipni/simplePlantNameSearch.do;jsessionid=0F3BAD5E353CF7CA49EA3D1CF9081C2E?find_wholeName=Ruellia+simplex IPNI Listing]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1902176}}
Category:Plants described in 1870
Category:Garden plants of North America