Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Myrtales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Lagerstroemia indica
FAMILY
Lythraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Crape-myrtle at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lagerstroemia indica
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lagerstroemia indica
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Lagerstroemia indica
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lagerstroemia indica
COMMON NAME:
Crape-myrtle
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm110320_162
March Greenville County SC
The scaling, darker outer bark reveals smooth, gray to pinkish inner bark, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm0408b_07
August Greenville County SC
Roadside
)
)
JK Marlow jkm060806_013
August Greenville County SC
The flowers have crinkled petals, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
)
Paul Thompson pstlagerstroemia_spp
September?
L. indica is on the right.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Lagerstroemia indica
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lagerstroemia indica
FAMILY
Lythraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lagerstroemia indica
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Lagerstroemia indica
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lagerstroemia indica
1870
Shrub; Tree
Perennial
Habitat: Commonly cultivated, persistent around old plantings, spreading to roadsides, old fields, suburban woodlands, and natural areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Asia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
White/Pink/Red
6 petals
36-42 stamens, dimorphic
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Brown
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p099
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p349
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p254
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p184
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".