ID confirmation of mystery plant requested

[Monique Reed]

Hello All,

We're trying to confirm the identity of a mystery weed collected in Liberty County, Texas.  It appears to be Mitrasacme paludosa of the Loganiaceae (or Mitreolaceae, if you're splitting.)  This taxon is, as far as we know, Australian.  Can anyone confirm our determination, and does anyone have an idea of what it's doing in Texas?  We can find no records for its occurrence in the U.S.   It's apparently rather common at the collection site this year, and we're trying to assess its potential weediness.

Images at: http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/mitra1.JPG  
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/mitra2.JPG 
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/mitra3.JPG and http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/mitra4.JPG 

The plants are rhizomatous herbs, to about 1 m. tall. Leaves opposite, connected with a line of hairs.  Flowers hypogynous, pedicellate, solitary in the axils of the reduced upper leaves.  Fruit  a bilocular, many-seeded capsule with axile placentation.

Any information will be gratefully received.

Thanks,
Monique Reed
Biology Department
Texas A&M University
TAMU 3258
College Station, TX  77843-3258

Quae narravi, nullo modo negabo.