SAURURACEAE (Lizard’s Tail Family)
Four genera,
about six species, North America, Asia south to Indonesia.
In addition to
the species native to Missouri, Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is sometimes
cultivated in the state, especially its variegated cultivar ‘Chameleon.’ It differs
from Saururus in producing relatively short, dense, spikes, each
subtended by an involucre of large, white, petaloid bracts (the entire
inflorescence has the appearance of a single large flower or a radiate head of
an Asteraceae). This species can become aggressive in gardens and has become
naturalized outside of cultivation at scattered sites in a few states to the
east of Missouri.