2. Rhexia virginica L. (wing-stemmed meadow beauty, handsmome
Harry)
Pl. 455 l, m;
Map 2070
Rhizomes usually
absent, but the roots often producing small tubers, the stem bases sometimes
somewhat spongy-thickened. Stems 20–100 cm long, more or less equally 4-angled,
the angles noticeably winged, the wings mostly 0.3–2.0 mm wide, sparsely to
moderately glandular-hairy at the nodes, the internodes pubescent with similar
hairs to nearly glabrous. Leaf blades (1–)2–7 cm long, elliptic or more
commonly ovate, becoming narrowly ovate or less commonly lanceolate toward the
stem tip, glabrous or more commonly sparsely to moderately glandular-hairy.
Hypanthium 7–10 mm long at fruiting, glabrous or sparsely to moderately
glandular-hairy, the necklike free portion usually shorter than the body (the
portion fused to the ovary) at fruiting. Petals 15–20 mm long, often with
sparse glandular hairs on the outer surface and margins. 2n=22, 44.
June–October.
Scattered in the
southern portion of the state northward locally to Franklin and St. Clair
Counties (eastern U.S. west to Wisconsin and Texas; Canada). Fens, acid seeps,
sandy banks of streams and rivers, wet depressions of sand prairies and
sandstone glades, and open margins of sinkhole ponds; also fallow fields,
ditches, roadsides, railroads, and moist sandy open disturbed areas.
At a few sites
in southern Missouri, this species co-occurs with R. mariana, but thus
far no instances of hybridization have been reported. Kral and Bostick (1969),
who studied both natural and artificially produced hybrids between these two
species, found that interspecific hybrids are rare in nature and mostly
sterile, with abortive seeds. They indicated that such hybrids could be
recognized vegetatively by their unusually narrow leaves. In Missouri, R.
virginica tends to flower slightly earlier than does R. mariana, but
there is overlap in flowering times during most years.