Plant That I've Never Seen Before
Lanceleaf Fogfruit
( Phyla lanceolata )
Yesterday when I was at Whites Ferry on the
Potomac River I photographed a large
aggregate of lanceleaf fogfruit. From
a distance I thought that it might have been
a clover or plantain, but it was growing on
the shoreline, both
in and out of the water and had pink
flowers.
The plant is an obligate (OBL) wetland
species, found exclusively in persistent,
saturated soil.
It is classified
as endangered in New Jersey and rare in
Pennsylvania.
It is mapped as occurring in all of the
United States, except for the Northwest, in
moist, open areas and has a
unique relationship with Syrphidea
flies that pollinate the flowers and feed on
the nectar.
Only the first of the
three photos is in good focus, but the other
photos help show the overall plant, leaves
and stems.
Submitted by Mark Burchick