1. Spigelia marilandica L. (woodland pinkroot, Indian pink,
wormgrass)
Pl. 447 k, l;
Map 2030
Plants perennial
herbs. Stems 30–70 cm long, erect or ascending, unbranched or few-branched,
minutely hairy at and around the nodes. Leaves sessile. Leaf blades mostly 3–12
cm long, the lowermost few pairs often highly reduced, sometimes less than 1 cm
long, ovate to lanceolate, broadest toward the base, tapered to a sharply
pointed tip (the reduced lowermost ones sometimes blunt or rounded), mostly
rounded to truncate at the base, the upper surface glabrous, the undersurface
(and the margins) minutely hairy along the main veins. Inflorescences
unbranched or few-branched. Calyces 7–13 mm long, the lobes linear, gradually
tapered to a sharply pointed tip. Corollas 30–60 mm long, more or less
trumpet-shaped, bright red on the outer surface, yellow on the inner surface,
the lobes spreading or curved outward, the throat glabrous. Stamens slightly
exserted. Pistils notched or 2-lobed at the tip, the style usually shed before
the fruit dehisces. Fruits 5–8 mm long, deeply 2-lobed, dehiscing
longitudinally between the lobes and along the opposite margins, the valves
eventually shed, leaving a shallow cuplike base. Seeds 2.0–2.8 mm in the
longest dimension, irregularly rectangular to elliptic or nearly circular in
outline, more or less rounded on the dorsal surface, the other sides angular,
attached on the ventral side and forming ball-like masses, the surfaces
roughened or with small flat irregular tubercles, dark brown, not shiny. 2n=46.
June–October.
Scattered in
southeastern Missouri and disjunct locally north and west to Franklin and
Cooper Counties (southeastern U.S. west to Missouri and Texas). Bottomland
forests, mesic upland forests, and banks of streams, spring branches, and
rivers; rarely in pastures.
Pinkroot is an
attractive perennial that is gaining popularity in wildflower gardens. The beautiful
flowers apparently are hummingbird-pollinated (G. K. Rogers, 1986). The
species, along with a few others in the genus, also has a long history of
medicinal use in the treatment of parasitic worms. G. K. Rogers (1986) warned,
however, that poisonous compounds (presumably alkaloids) in the plants can
cause delirium, vertigo, speech abnormalities, convulsions, vision problems,
pain, spasms, and even death if an overdose is ingested. G. K. Rogers also
noted that S. marilandica was disappearing from portions of its range
because of overcollecting for medicinal and horticultural purposes.
Fortunately, the species is currently being propagated at several native plant
nurseries.