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nodding nixie
Scientific Name: Apteria aphylla
Family: Burmanniaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Apteria aphylla: The Nodding Nixie
Discover the elusive Apteria aphylla, commonly known as the Nodding Nixie, a fascinating and easily overlooked plant.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Apteria aphylla (Nuttall) Barnhart ex Small
- Common Name: Nodding Nixie
- Family: Burmanniaceae (Burmannia family)
- Synonyms:
- Lobelia aphylla Nuttall
- Apteria setacea Nuttall
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to the southern United States (East Texas to South Georgia), Mexico, and Central America.
- Found in humus-rich soils of moist, shady environments, such as swamp forests, floodplain hammocks, and forested seeps.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- A diminutive, leafless flowering plant that can be easily missed.
- Classified as a forb/herb, which is a non-woody plant that is not a grass.
Ecological Role
- This plant is a myco-heterotroph, meaning it obtains nutrients from fungi rather than through photosynthesis.
Quirky Facts
- The name "Nodding Nixie" is described as "going trippingly off the tongue" in one user-created plant name list.
- The plant's flowers can be blue, purple, violet, or white.
Further Information
- Discover Life offers a page dedicated to the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Apteria aphylla.