Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Magnoliids: Piperales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Hexastylis heterophylla
FAMILY
Aristolochiaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Hexastylis from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Hexastylis heterophylla
FAMILY
Aristolochiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)
Hexastylis heterophylla
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Hexastylis virginicum
SYNONYMOUS WITH A review of the taxonomy and biogeography of Hexastylis (Aristolochiaceae) (Gaddy, 1987)
Hexastylis heterophylla
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of West Virginia (Strausbaugh & Core, 1978)
Asarum heterophyllum
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 062-03-006:
Hexastylis heterophylla FAMILY Aristolochiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Hexastylis heterophylla
COMMON NAME:
Variable-leaf Heartleaf
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm080329_025
March Pickens County SC
Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area
)
JK Marlow jkm080329_032
March Pickens County SC
Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area
H. heterophylla is probably the most variable species in the genus, per A Review of the Taxonomy & Biogeography of Hexastylis, Aristolochiaceae (Gaddy, 1987).
)
JK Marlow jkm090321_209
March Greenville County SC
Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve
Southern populations have small unflared flowers, per A Review of the Taxonomy & Biogeography of Hexastylis, Aristolochiaceae (Gaddy, 1987).
)
JK Marlow jkm100402_044
April Oconee County SC
Jocassee Gorges
Northern populations have large prominently-flared flowers, per A Review of the Taxonomy & Biogeography of Hexastylis, Aristolochiaceae (Gaddy, 1987).
)
JK Marlow jkm200418_3933
April Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm200418_3935
April Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
)
Steve Marlow snm090412_049
April Greenville County SC
Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve
Occasionally populations with flowers the size of H. naniflora are found, per A Review of the Taxonomy & Biogeography of Hexastylis, Aristolochiaceae (Gaddy, 1987).
)
JK Marlow jkm060506_141
May Pickens County SC
Clemson Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm060506_143
May Pickens County SC
Clemson Forest
If leaves are mottled, the paler portions are along the veins, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm071101_002
November Oconee County SC
Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District
Leaves usually solid green (sometimes variegated), per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow s071101_c
November Oconee County SC
Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District
Leaves with cordate base, all portions of the sides convex, per Weakley's Flora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Hexastylis heterophylla
FAMILY
Aristolochiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Hexastylis heterophylla
FAMILY
Aristolochiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Hexastylis heterophylla
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Hexastylis virginicum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
A review of the taxonomy and biogeography of Hexastylis (Aristolochiaceae) (Gaddy, 1987)
Hexastylis heterophylla
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of West Virginia (Strausbaugh & Core, 1978)
Asarum heterophyllum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 062-03-006:
Hexastylis heterophylla
FAMILY
Aristolochiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Hexastylis heterophylla
675
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Slopes and bluffs in xeric to mesic forests, usually associated with Kalmia latifolia, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Carolina Mountains & NC Piedmont, uncommon in GA Mountains (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Plant acaulescent (without aerial stems). Leaves alternate, 2-ranked
RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Rhizomatous
FLOWER:
Spring
Pale purplish/ Purplish-brown
3-merous
3-lobed cylindrical calyx tube
Petals absent
12 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p176
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p117
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p161
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p475
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p045
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p028
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p047
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p031
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