By: Samantha Tunks
Classification
Phyla Nodiflora
Order Lamiales
Description
It can grow up to 3-12 inches, it has a dark purple center with light lavender and white petals, the flowers are small and grow in bunches together and the bunches have dark green leaves, it's lifespan is a short lived perennial.
Habitat: It is native to the southern USA and Central America. It is a low growing ground plant in warm and frost free regions and forests. It grows in wet places, like swamps, riverbeds, and lakes.
Niche: The turkey tangle fogfruit is an important food and nectar source for butterflies and a source of food for caterpillars. It has a long flowering period, so it is useful for butterflies to get nectar from almost year round.
Food sources: It is used as a food source itself, but it makes food using photosynthesis and it needs water to live, just like all other living things.
Status: Its status is least concern, meaning it is very common and it is not endangered. It is very easy to find and can be found in many warm forests and even in some people’s houses as decoration.
Cultural significance
In the Philippines, the plant is used as a substitute for tea leaves. In India, it is used to make cough medicine. Studies done in Pakistan and Taiwan have found that it actually does have some important medical qualities. It can be used to treat things from liver disorders to dandruff. It also has antibacterial properties that were found useful to treat staph, E coli, salmonella, and many others.
Cool Story
In the Houma tribe in Louisiana, the plant was used to make a wash for babies that were too weak or lazy to be able to walk. They also used it as a treatment for fevers, colds and wounds.