Lindernia

Scientific name

Lindernia All.

Family

Linderniaceae

Similar genera

Bacopa, Cardamine, Clinopodium, Chamaegigas, Cuphea, Gratiola

Native distribution

pan-tropical, warm temperate

Species cultivated

(Additional varieties are cultivated.)

Lindernia anagallis (Burm.f.) Pennell

L. dubia (L.) Pennell

L. grandiflora Nutt.

L. parviflora (Roxb.) Haines

L. rotundifolia (L.) Alston

L. tenuifolia (Colsm.) Alston

Adventive distribution

Lindernia dubia is introduced into Europe and East Asia.

L. parviflora is introduced into Peru.

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submersed, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, or erect stem plant

Brief description

Annual or short-lived perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Stem creeping or ascending. Leaves widely spaced, oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
, decussatedecussate:
(adj) arranged along stem in pairs, with each pair at right angles to the pairs above and below
, sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
to short-petiolate; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
entire to partially serrateserrate:
(adj) (of a leaf margin) bearing sharp teeth pointing forward or to the apex
. Flowers solitary in leaf axils, or in a terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
loose racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
. Sepalsepal:
(n) a member of the outer envelope of a flower (calyx)
lobes 5; corollacorolla:
(n) the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
tubular, 2-lipped; adaxialadaxial:
(adj) pertaining to the side facing toward the axis, as in the upper surface of a leaf
lip 3-lobed, spreading; abaxialabaxial:
(adj) the side facing away from the axis, as in the underside of a leaf
lip 2-lobed. Dispersal by seed and stem fragments.

Natural habitat

shallow water and wet ground

Additional comments

The genus contains many terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
species. Lindernia intrepida (Dinter ex Heil) Oberm. is a rare aquatic plant from Namibia, often referred to by the synonym Chamaegigas intrepidus Dinter ex Heil. Chamaeagigas is left separate here due to the highly divergent growth form from most other Lindernia species, although flower structure is very similar.