Nightflowering wild petunia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nightflowering wild petunia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ruellia
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| Species: |
noctiflora
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The Ruellia noctiflora, also known as the nightflowering wild petunia, is a special plant found along the Gulf Coast. It's called "nightflowering" because its beautiful flowers open up only at night! Even though its common name includes "petunia," it's actually from a different plant family than the garden petunias you might know.
This plant is a herbaceous perennial. This means it has soft stems (not woody like a tree) and lives for more than two years. Sadly, it is considered an endangered plant in Florida.
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What Does the Nightflowering Wild Petunia Look Like?
This unique plant can grow up to about 16 in (41 cm) tall. It has oval-shaped leaves that come to a point. These leaves are usually attached directly to the stem without a stalk. They can be up to 2.8 in (7.1 cm) long and grow in pairs on thin, slightly hairy, purplish stems.
Its Special Night-Blooming Flowers
The nightflowering wild petunia has amazing white, trumpet-shaped flowers. Each flower has five petals and can be about 3 in (7.6 cm) long and 4 in (10 cm) wide. These flowers are truly special because they open only at night! By mid-morning, they close up and fall off.
The flowers are pollinated by hawk moths. These moths have very long "tongues," called proboscises, which help them reach the sweet nectar deep inside the flower.
How Does It Make Seeds?
After the flower is pollinated, it forms a fruit that looks like a capsule. This capsule is about .8 in (2.0 cm) long. It keeps the long, thin part of the flower, called the style, resting among five spiky green parts called sepals. When the fruit is ready, it splits open lengthwise. This releases the seeds inside.
What's interesting is that this plant doesn't make "cleistogamous" flowers. These are special flowers that stay closed and pollinate themselves, which is common in other plants of its kind.
Where Does the Nightflowering Wild Petunia Live?
The nightflowering wild petunia usually lives in wetlands. It especially likes areas called longleaf pine savannas. These savannas are open grasslands with scattered pine trees.
Why Is This Plant in Danger?
There are a few big threats to this special plant. The most obvious one is when its habitat (the place where it lives) is destroyed. But there are other problems too:
- Lack of Fire: Longleaf pine savannas naturally need fires to stay healthy. These fires help clear out smaller plants and brush, called the understory. Without these fires, the understory grows too thick, blocking sunlight and space for the wild petunia.
- Invasive Plants: Another threat comes from plants that are not native to the area, called invasive species. These plants, like cogon grass, grow very fast and can take over the space and resources that the nightflowering wild petunia needs to survive.
Scientists have also studied how this plant is related to other Ruellia species in North America. They found it's closely related to Ruellia caroliniensis, which grows across the southeastern United States.
