Lippia

Phyla canescens

Alternative Name(s): Carpetweed, Fogfruit.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Form: Herb

Origin: Native to the Americas from California to Argentina and Chile.

Flowers/Seedhead: Flower tubes 2–3 mm long. Flowers late spring to late autumn in temperate areas.

Description: Hardy perennial herb with stems that root at nodes. Leaves with blade 0.5–3 cm long, 2–10 mm wide, ovate, without hairs or with short dense hairs; leaf stalk absent or short.

Distinguishing features: Distinguished by mat forming habit; leaves with blunt short teeth; flowers open in more than a single whorl; bracts below joined sepals (calyx) with a tapered tip; calyx with lobes not more than half calyx length; inflorescence a dense short cylindrical to globe-shaped spike of tubular flowers, on a stalk which is 1–6.5 cm long and usually much longer than leaves at the stalk base; petals usually lilac or pink.

Dispersal: Spreads mainly by movement of pieces but also by seed.

Confused With: Phyla nodiflora which usually has greyish hairy leaves that are sharply toothed on the upper margin and an oblong flower spike.