Pycnanthemum flexuosum Plant Identification (Flower, Leaf, Care, Uses)

Family – Lamiaceae

Stems:

Leaves:

Pressed leaves.

Inflorescence:

N/A

Flowers:

Flowering – June – August.

Habitat – Flatwoods, savannahs, pocosins, bogs, pine barrens.

Origin – Native to North America.

Other information – This attractive species has been reported in just two Alabama counties. The plant is easy to identify in flower becasue of its somewhat flat-topped, globose flower clusters. The apices of the calyx lobes are whitish giving the clusters a whitish appearance. The small flowers are white to pink and spotted with purple. The stems of this species can be glabrous to canescent.
The genus name Pycnanthemum derives from the Greek “pycn(o)” meaning “dense, thick” and “anth(e)” meaning “a flower” referring to the dense flower clusters typical to this genus.
The species epithet flexuosum derives from the Latin “flex(i) or flexu” meaning “bend, pliant, or winding” possibly referring to the stems(?).

Alabama Distribution:

Photographs taken in the Croatan National Forest, NC., 7-17-02.