Diodia virginiana
(Virginia Buttonweed)

Other pictures of this plant:


               Seedpod                                           Leaf                                            Stem                                        Seed                                          Habit

Facts About this Plant:

    Common Names: Virginia Buttonweed, Poorjoe, Large Buttonweed
    Synonyms: Diodia hirsuta, Diodia tetragona
      Lifespan: Annual
      Zones: N/A
      Type: Forb
      Bloom Time: May - September
      Status: Native
      Range:

    Diodia virginiana, or Virginia Buttonweed, is native to most of the eastern half of the United States, but is not in the northern tier of states. It is an annual, or sometimes a perennial, that grows in fields, roadsides, prairies and along railroads, often shows up in yards as well. It blooms from late spring into fall, with small white flowers.

    This plant looks similar to the other species in the genus, Diodia teres, but the two can be somewhat easily distinguished. Diodia teres usually has hairy stems, but not always, but it always has long stipules that come out of the leaf nodes; it also has purple flowers that are smooth, and its leaves are long and lance-shaped with little visible veining. Meanwhile, Diodia virginiana has no stipules at the leaf nodes, its stem is not hairy, it has white flowers which have fuzz on the petals, and its leaves are plumper and have more prominent veins on them. See photo for comparison.

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