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Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata) |
Color Photograph: © by and courtesy of Stephen J. Baskauf
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Blephilia hirsuta Hairy Wood Mint is similar in appearance, but the stem is densely hairy and the petioles of the middle and lower leaves are elongate. Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata) Identification: Flowers pink to violet-blue. Lower petal lobe thin and straplike, bordered on either side by broad, ovate lobes. Top petal lobe triangular. Interior of flower spotted with dark red. Flowers in apical clusters, arranged in whorls separated by bands of fringed, prickly appearing, bracts. Stem square, only lightly hairy. Leaves blade-shaped, petioles short. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height. Distribution: Wisconsin in the west to New England in the east, southward to Georgia and Arkansas. Habitat: Downy Wood Mint is found in thickets and dry woods. Flowering period: June to August. |
Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata)
Similar Species: The uniquely shaped flowers and the arrangement of bands of flowers separated by bands of prickly appearing bracts will identify most species of Blephilia. Hairy Wood Mint (Blephilia hirsuta)
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Similar Species |
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