Phyla nodiflora

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Verbenaceae
Tribus: Lantaneae
Genus: Phyla
Species: Phyla nodiflora
Name

Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene
References

Pittonia; a Series of Papers Relating to Botany and Botanists. Berkeley, CA 4:46. 1899
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]
Conservation status: A dark green disk with "LC" in white (Least Concern), IUCN: Phyla nodiflora (Least Concern)

Vernacular names
English: frog fruit, sawtooth fogfruit, turkey tangle

Phyla nodiflora, the frog fruit, sawtooth fogfruit, or turkey tangle, is an ornamental plant in the family Verbenaceae, and is native to the area from northern South America to southern United States. It can be found in tropical areas around the globe, a naturalized species in many places. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.

It is often grown ornamentally as a ground cover plant, and is often present in yards or disturbed areas as a lawn weed.

The inflorescence consists of a purple centre encircled by small white-to-pink flowers. The flower takes on a match-like look, which is why the plant is sometimes called matchweed. It is similar to the related species Phyla lanceolata, but differs in having much shorter leaves that are often blunt and much more rounded. Both species are common as weeds and in the ornamental environment.

Common names in India include bukkan (Hindi), ratolia, vakkan (Marathi), poduthalai (Tamil), neerthippali (Malayalam), vasir, and vasuka (Sanskrit). It is used medicinally to treat suppuration, common colds, and lithiasis.[2]

Synonyms

Lippia canescens Kunth, Lippia incasiomalo (Small) Tildsoan, Lippia lickiflora (L.) Michx., Lippia nodiflora var. canescens (Kunth) Kuntze, Lippia nodiflora var. reptans (Kunth) Kuntze, Lippia nodiflora var. rosea (D. Don) Munz, Lippia reptans Kunth, Polyumn incisa Small, Phyla nodiflora var. antillana Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. canescens (Kunth) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. incisa (Small) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. longifolia Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. repens (Spreng.) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. reptans (Kunth) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. rosea (D. Don) Moldenke, Phyla nodiflora var. texensis Moldenke.
Notes

Lansdown, R.V. (2019). "Phyla nodiflora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T164053A67789742. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T164053A67789742.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.

Pharmacopia indica.

References
Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.