Ruellia humilis

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:	ACANTHACEAE
Species:	Ruellia humilis Nutt.
Common Name:	Low Wild Petunia; Fringe Leaf Wild Petunia; Hairy Wild Petunia
Habitat:	Prairie grasslands, cedar glades, roadsides, and rocky mesic woodlands over limestone.
Associated Ecological Communities:	**
Growth Habit:	Herb
Duration:	Perennial
Category:	Vascular
USDA Symbol:	RUHU
Plant Notes:	Low Wild Petunia is a native herbaceous perennial in the Acanthus family (Acanthaceae). It occurs primarily in the central and northern portions of the state in areas underlain by limestone. Low Wild Petunia occurs in prairies, on cedar glades, in rocky limestone woodlands, and on roadsides. It is a perennial that dies back to the roots each winter. The erect or decumbent, pubescent, branched stems are 6 inches to two feet in length. The stems are green or purplish in color. Several stems are often produced from the same rootstock. Leaves are opposite, sessile or short petiolate, ovate to lanceolate in outline, pubescent, with entire margins. Funnelform flowers are produced in sessile axillary glomerules. The flowers are light blue or pale lavender in color and only remain open for one day. However, the plant produces a succession of flowers from early summer through frost. The calyx lobes are linear and pubescent. The fruit is a glabrous capsule that “explodes” at maturity, scattering the seed. Low Wild Petunia can withstand drought and can grow in heavy clay “prairie” soils. It is sometimes available from wildflower nurseries, or can be grown from seed or stem cuttings. Seed capsules should be collected as soon as they turn brown to prevent losing the seed. Germination can be low, but the plant produces an abundance of seed.—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:	**
Status:	Native, FACU (NWI)
References:	**
Specimen:	View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Family	ACANTHACEAE - Acanthus family
Genus	Ruellia
Species	Ruellia humilis Nutt. - Low Wild Petunia; Fringe Leaf Wild Petunia; Hairy Wild Petunia

Citation

Citation	Ruellia humilis Nuttall, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s. 5(6[2]): 182–183. 1837 [1835].
Basionym:	**
Type:	USA: ARKANSAS:

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym
Ruellia ciliosa var. humilis	Ruellia ciliosa Pursh var. humilis (Nuttall) Britton, Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences 9(8): 185. 1890.	Ruellia humilis Nuttall
Ruellia ciliosa var. longiflora	Ruellia ciliosa Pursh var. longiflora A. Gray, Synoptical Flora of North America 2(1): 326. 1878.
Ruellia humilis var. longiflora	Ruellia humilis var. longiflora (A. Gray) Fernald, Rhodora 47(554): 56. 1945.	Ruellia ciliosa Pursh var. longiflora A. Gray

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Cherokee, Clarke, Colbert, Dallas, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Randolph, Sumter, Talladega, Tuscaloosa

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, BRIT, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UNAF, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1965 - 1982

Barcode / Accession No.	County	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
SAMF0006776	Bibb	20 Jun 2016	Davenport, Lawrence J. 6391	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0000005	Lawrence	10 Aug 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 12024	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0000006	Sumter	25 Jun 1998	White, James E. B-161	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00008289	Bibb	7 Jun 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 11899	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00053988	Greene	30 Jun 1966	Thomas, Joab L. 829	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
UWAL0030475	Morgan	24 Jul 2015	England, J. Kevin 5536	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67832	Lee	20 Aug 1978	Kral, Robert 62531	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103956	Jackson	09 Aug 1976	Marx, P.S. 8800	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00042830	Lawrence	23 Sep 1970	Kral, Robert 41272	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
JSU103954	Franklin	06 Sep 1993	Ballard, J. Mark 3151	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0009196	Colbert	21 Aug 2011	Keener, Brian R. 6652	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nutt.
BRIT67825	Geneva	08 Jun 1968	Kral, Robert 31377	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025520	Bibb	24 Aug 1977	Sessler, Ann H. 1850	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
AMAL00017026	Dallas	1 Sep 2009	Barger, T. Wayne 179	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67830	Lawrence	23 Sep 1970	Kral, Robert 41272	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
SAMF0004998	Greene	30 Aug 1965	Thomas, Joab L. 766	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0036104	Bibb	30 May 2015	Keener, Brian R. 8919	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103953	Etowah	03 Sep 1994	Hodge, Lesley M. 3459	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00042817	Hale	21 Aug 1966	Maginness, Sherrie E. 79	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
AMAL00012110	Jackson	7 Sep 2001	Spaulding, Daniel D. 11065	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00042818	Greene	30 Aug 1965	Thomas, Joab L. 766	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
UWAL0052866	Bibb	12 Aug 2019	Keener, Brian R. 11530	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nutt.
BRIT67819	Cherokee	21 Jul 1968	Kral, Robert 31743	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU104141	Lawrence	06 Jun 1975	Whetstone, R. David 4361	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00042804	Greene	18 Jun 1966	Naugle, Helen E. G 97	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
JSU104143	Morgan	15 Sep 1996	Spaulding, Daniel D. 9138	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0017250	Lawrence	15 Jul 2014	England, J. Kevin 5099	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67823	DeKalb	11 Aug 1973	Kral, Robert 51170	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0011087	Macon	19 Jun 2012	Diamond, Alvin R. 23096	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00012111	Madison	19 Sep 1996	Threlkeld, Steven J. 941	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67831	Lawrence	23 Sep 1970	Kral, Robert 41272	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000043942	Madison	8 Oct 2020	Hansen, Curtis J. 7884	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
TROY000033003	Montgomery	26 Aug 2010	Diamond, Alvin R. 21542	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025524	Lawrence	10 Aug 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 12024	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
JSU103959	Lawrence	12 Aug 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3593	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00042825	Autauga	13 Aug 1982	Gunn, Scott C. 997	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
BRIT67834	Sumter	11 Jun 1969	Thomas, Joab L. 2179	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00008475	Lawrence	10 Aug 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 12024	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000031914	Butler	10 Jun 2011	Diamond, Alvin R. 22226	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00019750	Colbert	03 Aug 1977	Cantino, Philip D. 1089	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67828	Jackson	03 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 43849	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103948	Bibb	22 Jul 1982	Whetstone, R. David 116663	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00063023	Lawrence	10 Aug 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 12024	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
UNAF0000046	Franklin	23 Sep 1985	Daly, Robert s.n.	UNAF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67826	Greene	30 Sep 1967	McDaniel, Sidney 9860	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025522	Cherokee	16 Jul 1984	Whetstone, R.David 14603	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
BRIT67824	Franklin	28 Jul 1972	Kral, Robert 47886	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0000009	Colbert	26 Jul 1981	Kral, Robert 67593	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000051579	Franklin	27 Sep 2013	England, J. Kevin 4615	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0016136	DeKalb	13 Jul 2014	Spaulding, Daniel D. 14061	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nutt.
AMAL00012109	Etowah	20 Sep 1996	Spaulding, Daniel D. 8613	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00053548	Marengo	13 Aug 1969	Thomas, Joab L. 2428	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
UWAL0014696	Bullock	07 Jun 2012	Dykes, Bailee 833	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67822	Colbert	14 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 44023	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103957	Jackson	09 Aug 1976	Marx, P.S. 8796	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0038577	Sumter	10 Sep 2017	Keener, Brian R. 10438	UWAL Reullia humilis Nuttall
SAMF0004993	Lawrence	16 Aug 2008	England, J. Kevin 883	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0017231	Lawrence	16 Aug 2008	England, J. Kevin 883	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67820	Clarke	07 Jun 1968	Kral, Robert 31291	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025527	Tuscaloosa	21 Jun 2003	Haynes, Robert R. 10405	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
SAMF0004992	Randolph	02 Jul 1979	Davenport, Lawrence J. 1265	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00065000	Sumter	20 Jul 2006	Keener, Brian R. 3004	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
JSU103955	Jackson	28 Jul 1975	Whetstone, R. David 5324	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0053392	Madison	08 Oct 2020	Hansen, C.J. 7884	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nutt.
AMAL00021633	Lawrence	16 Aug 2008	England, J. Kevin 883	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000035163	Macon	17 Jun 2012	Diamond, Alvin R. 23096	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
SAMF0005125	Bibb	24 May 2012	Davenport, Lawrence J. 5238	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00012112	Madison	1 Aug 1996	Threlkeld, Steven J. 803	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67815	Bibb	07 Jun 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 11899	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00057710	Bibb	17 Jul 1993	Allison, James R. 7787	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
JSU104142	Morgan	07 Aug 1975	Whetstone, R. David 6080	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67814	Autauga	13 Aug 1982	Gunn, Scott C. 997	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103949	Bibb	22 Jul 1982	Whetstone, R. David 11747	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0031602	Lawrence	12 Jul 2013	England, J. Kevin 4389	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0052152	Bibb	13 Jul 2018	Keener, Brian R. 10763	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nutt.
AUA000025523	DeKalb	11 Aug 1973	Kral, Robert 51170	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
BRIT67821	Colbert	26 Jul 1981	Kral, Robert 67593	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0000007	Sumter	20 Jul 1995	Ford, Eric B-001	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000051480	Lawrence	16 Aug 2008	England, J. Kevin 883	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0002864	Montgomery	26 Aug 2010	Diamond, Alvin R. 21542	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103958	Lawrence	12 Aug 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3593	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00042827	Greene	30 Sep 1967	McDaniel, Sidney 9860	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
BRIT67818	Cherokee	16 Jul 1984	Whetstone, R. David 14603	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025526	Sumter	30 Jul 1980	Freeman, John D. 15	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
TROY000013776	Lawrence	10 Aug 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 12024	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU104144	Talladega	19 May 1992	Ballard, J. Mark 348	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0004966	Butler	10 Jun 2011	Diamond, Alvin R. 22226	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025519	Autauga	13 Aug 1982	Gunn, Scott C. 997	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
TROY000036349	Bullock	07 Jun 2012	Dykes, Bailee 833	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00019856	Mobile	18 Aug 2012	Horne, Howard E. 1839	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
SAMF0004991	Franklin	02 Aug 2005	Davenport, Lawrence J. 3312	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0036115	Dallas	24 Jul 2015	Keener, Brian R. 9042	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0017323	Franklin	27 Sep 2013	England, J. Kevin 4615	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000050977	Lawrence	12 Jul 2013	England, J. Kevin 4389	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025521	Bibb	7 Jun 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 11899	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
JSU103960	Lawrence	12 Aug 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3593	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00055669	Blount	08 Jun 1998	Keener, Brian R. 928	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
BRIT67827	Greene	30 Aug 1965	Thomas, Joab L. 766	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00021600	DeKalb	13 Jul 2014	Spaulding, Daniel D. 14061	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000013775	Bibb	07 Jun 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 11899	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
SAMF0004990	Lawrence	11 Sep 2012	Davenport, Lawrence J. 5401	SAMF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00008766	Sumter	30 Jul 1980	Dalrymple, Larry 15	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00012108	Blount	8 Jun 1998	Keener, Brian R. 928	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000046442	Clarke	08 Jun 2018	Diamond, Alvin R. 28356	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103951	Cherokee	16 Jun 1984	Whetstone, R. David 14603	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67835	Tuscaloosa	01 Jun 1997	Naczi, Robert F.C. 6379	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UWAL0036387	Marshall	12 Aug 2017	England, J. Kevin 8362	UWAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AMAL00007731	Lee	20 Aug 1978	Kral, Robert 62531	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
ALNHS00002495	Colbert	22 Aug 2013	Barger, T. Wayne FH-149	ALNHS Ruellia humilis Nutt.
AMAL00022159	Franklin	27 Sep 2013	England, J. Kevin 4615	AMAL Ruellia humilis Nuttall
TROY000013777	Sumter	30 Jul 1980	Freeman, John D. 15	TROY Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103947	Bibb	07 Jun 1996	MacDonald, John R. 9529	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025518	Autauga	7 Sep 1982	Gunn, Scott C. 1169	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
BRIT67829	Lawrence	10 Aug 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 12024	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00059791	Tuscaloosa	21 Jun 2003	Haynes, Robert R. 10405	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
JSU103952	Colbert	08 Aug 1996	Whetstone, R. David 18359	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67817	Blount	08 Jun 1998	Keener, Brian R. 928	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
JSU103950	Bibb	22 Jul 1982	Whetstone, R. David 11541	JSU Ruellia humilis Nuttall
UNA00062258	Bibb	07 Jun 2003	Spaulding, Daniel D. 11899	UNA Ruellia humilis Nutt.
UNAF0000045	Franklin	23 Sep 1985	Daly, Robert s.n.	UNAF Ruellia humilis Nuttall
BRIT67816	Bibb	07 Jun 1996	MacDonald, John R. 9529	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall
AUA000025525	Mobile	30 May 1973	Taylor, John 13496	AUA Ruellia Humilis Nutt.
BRIT67833	Marshall	28 Aug 1978	Kral, Robert 36450	BRIT Ruellia humilis Nuttall

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Brian R. Keener, Ph.D.

Data last modified: 11/9/2024

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Citation Information:

Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2024. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

Data, text, and images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Ruellia humilis

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Citation

Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution