ID confirmation of mystery plant requested

[Monique Reed]

Thanks.  That is indeed it.   I'm slapping my head and hanging it in shame.  I should have known this one from herbarium sheets, even if I've never seen it in the field.

Monique

>>> "Volker Bittrich/Maria C.E. Amaral" <Volker at unicamp.br> 11/27/01 01:25PM >>>
Hi Monique,
                      I'd say, Scoparia dulcis L. (Scrophulariaceae)

   Cheers

            Volker

Monique Reed wrote:

> 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.