3. Ruellia strepens L. (wild petunia, smooth ruellia, limestone ruellia)

R. strepens f. alba Steyerm.

R. strepens f. cleistantha (A. Gray) S. McCoy

Pl. 195 l; Map 803

Stems 15–100 cm long, unbranched or branched, glabrous or more commonly minutely hairy in 2 narrow, longitudinal bands on opposite sides, the hairs 0.1–0.2 mm long, appearing crinkled. Leaves with petioles 3–20 mm long, the blades of main stem leaves 2–16 cm long, ovate or broadly lanceolate to elliptic or less commonly obovate, mostly tapered to a sharp point at the tip, tapered or less commonly rounded at the base, hairy on both sides and minutely hairy along the margins. Inflorescences consisting of flower clusters in the axils of main stem leaves and usually also at and near the tip of axillary branches (inflorescence stalks) to 8 cm long, the flowers subtended by hairy lanceolate to obovate bracts (3–)10–40 mm long. Calyx lobes 9–20 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, narrowly lanceolate, sparsely to less commonly densely hairy on the back (especially along the midnerve), with a fringe of white hairs 1–2 mm long along the margins. Corollas 3–7 cm long, 2–4 cm wide. Fruits 10–20 mm long, glabrous. 2n=34. May–October.

Scattered nearly throughout the state (northeastern U.S. west to Nebraska and Texas). Bottomland forests, mesic upland forests, banks of streams and rivers, margins of ponds and lakes, less commonly bottomland prairies and fens; also pastures, moist roadsides, and railroads.