Lindernia dubia (L.) Pennell var. anagallidea (Michx.) Cooperrider

Slender False Pimpernel

Habitat: Open wet areas. [Open wetland, not coastal nor rivershore (non-forested, wetland); Old field / roadside (non-forested, wetland or upland)]

Range: Florida to Texas and Mexico, north to southern Maine and New Hampshire, and west to Washington. Also considered rare in New Hampshire.

Aids to Identification: Lindernia dubia, as a species, is common in Maine. It is a low-growing herbaceous plant with opposite oval leaves. The white to pale purple flowers, 0.3-1 cm long, are two-lipped and carried singly on stalks arising from the leaf axils. The variety anagallidea is distinguished from the typical variety by having the flower stalks all longer than the leaves next to which they arise, and in having leaves which are broadly rounded or even heart-shaped. In the typical variety (the common variety), the lower flower stalks are shorter than the associated leaf and the leaf bases taper gradually.

Ecological characteristics: Ecological relationships in Maine are not well known. One known location was in a damp abandoned gravel pit.

Phenology: Flowers June to September.

Family: Linderniaceae

Synonyms: Ilysanthes inequalis (Walt.) Pennell; Lindernia anagallidea (Michx.) Pennell.

Known Distribution in Maine: This rare plant has historically been documented from a total of 1 town(s) in the following county(ies): York.

Reason(s) for rarity: At northern limit of range; not rare south of Maine.

Conservation considerations: Unknown; no current locations for this species are documented.