Family: Verbenaceae
Author: (L.) Greene
Bibliography: Pittonia 4: 46 (1899)
Year: 1899
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Phyla
Vegetable: False
Observations: Tropics & Subtropics
Description
Fogfruit, known scientifically as Phyla nodiflora, thrives prominently across the tropics and subtropics. This resilient member of the Verbenaceae family exhibits a versatile presence in various habitats, often found adorning lawns, road verges, and disturbed lands where it forms an attractive ground cover. The plant’s historical documentation can be traced back to its mention in the reputable botanical journal, Pittonia, in 1899, where it was cataloged by the respected botanist (L.) Greene.
Fogfruit is characterized by its creeping growth habit, often spreading through stolons to create a dense mat. The foliage consists of small, opposite leaves that may exhibit a slightly serrated margin. Its inflorescences are distinctive, assembling into compact, spherical clusters adorned with tiny, delicate flowers that range in color from white to pale lavender. This pollinator-friendly plant is especially valued for attracting a variety of insects, including bees and butterflies.
Adaptability is one of Fogfruit’s foremost strengths. It flourishes in a wide array of soil types, enduring conditions from heavy clay to well-draining sandy soils. In addition to its hardiness in different soil textures, it also shows remarkable tolerance to periods of drought and inundation, making it a valuable species for erosion control. Interestingly, despite its modest appearance, Phyla nodiflora is sometimes utilized in ecological restoration projects due to its ability to quickly stabilize soil.
Beyond its ecological benefits, Fogfruit holds potential medicinal properties, employed in traditional remedies across various cultures to treat ailments such as wounds, infections, and inflammation. While further research is ongoing, the historical use of this plant suggests a rich tapestry of ethnobotanical applications.
By blending its ecological utility with its aesthetic appeal, Phyla nodiflora offers gardeners and landscapers a robust, visually pleasing option for ground coverage. Whether used to embellish a garden’s understory or to reclaim and rehabilitate disturbed sites, Fogfruit stands as a testament to nature’s ingenuity and resilience.
Common Names
Eng: capeweed, turkey tangle fogfruit, carpetweed, fogfruit, frog fruit, frogfruit, matgrass, sawtooth fogfruit, turkey tangle, turkey tangle frogfruit, turkey-tangle, turkey-tangle frogfruit, cape weed
Swe: grodverbena
Ita: erba luigia minore
Fra: verveine nodiflore
En: Fogfruit, Frogfruit, Carpetweed, Matgrass, Turkey-tangle, Turkey-tangle frogfruit, Capeweed, Turkey tangle fogfruit, SAWTOOTH FROGFRUIT, Sawtooth fogfruit, Turkey frogfruit, Turkey tangle, Turkey Tangle Frogfruit, Frog fruit, Cape weed, Carpet Grass, Carpet Weed, Common Fogfruit, Creeping Lip Plant, Lipia, Purple lippia, Creeping vervain, Matweed
Ar: ليبيا(لِيبيا، لِبيا)، بليحه (بِليحه), حلاوه بهايم (حَلاوة بهايم), ريب شيطانى (رِيب شيطانى)، حشيش لبيه (حَشيش لِبِّيه)
Bn: ভূঁই ওকরা
Zh: Guo jiang teng, 過江藤, 鴨嘴黃, 鴨舌癀
Fr: Verveine Nodiflore, Phyla à fleurs nodales, Erba-Luigia americana
Ha: Godon kada
He: ליפיה זוחלת
It: Erba Luigia Minore, Erba-Luigia minore
Ml: നീർത്തിപ്പലി
Ne: मत्स्यगन्धा
Fa: توت پایابی
Es: Alfombra turca
Sv: Grodverbena
Zh-tw: 鴨舌癀
Ta: பொடுதலை
Th: หญ้าเหล็กขูด
Synonyms
- Verbena nodiflora (L.)
- Zappania nodiflora ((L.) Lam.)
- Blairia nodiflora ((L.) Gaertn.)
- Platonia nodiflora ((L.) Raf.)
- Lippia nodiflora var. normalis (Kuntze)
- Lippia nodiflora ((L.) Michx.)
Distribution
- Alabama (native)
- Albania (native)
- Aldabra (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Andaman Is. (native)
- Angola (native)
- Argentina Northeast (native)
- Argentina Northwest (native)
- Argentina South (native)
- Arizona (native)
- Arkansas (native)
- Aruba (native)
- Assam (native)
- Bahamas (native)
- Baleares (native)
- Bangladesh (native)
- Belize (native)
- Benin (native)
- Bermuda (native)
- Bolivia (native)
- Botswana (native)
- Brazil North (native)
- Brazil Northeast (native)
- Brazil South (native)
- Brazil Southeast (native)
- Brazil West-Central (native)
- Burkina (native)
- Burundi (native)
- California (native)
- Cambodia (native)
- Cape Provinces (native)
- Caprivi Strip (native)
- Caroline Is. (native)
- Cayman Is. (native)
- Central African Repu (native)
- Chad (native)
- Chagos Archipelago (native)
- Chile Central (native)
- Chile North (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Corse (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- Cuba (native)
- Cyprus (native)
- Djibouti (native)
- Dominican Republic (native)
- East Himalaya (native)
- Ecuador (native)
- Egypt (native)
- El Salvador (native)
- Eritrea (native)
- Ethiopia (native)
- Florida (native)
- Free State (native)
- Galápagos (native)
- Georgia (native)
- Ghana (native)
- Greece (native)
- Guatemala (native)
- Guinea-Bissau (native)
- Gulf States (native)
- Hainan (native)
- Haiti (native)
- Honduras (native)
- India (native)
- Iran (native)
- Italy (native)
- Jamaica (native)
- Japan (native)
- Kansas (native)
- Kentucky (native)
- Kenya (native)
- Kriti (native)
- KwaZulu-Natal (native)
- Laccadive Is. (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- Leeward Is. (native)
- Lesotho (native)
- Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
- Liberia (native)
- Libya (native)
- Louisiana (native)
- Madagascar (native)
- Malawi (native)
- Malaya (native)
- Maldives (native)
- Mali (native)
- Marianas (native)
- Mauritania (native)
- Mexico Central (native)
- Mexico Gulf (native)
- Mexico Northeast (native)
- Mexico Northwest (native)
- Mexico Southeast (native)
- Mexico Southwest (native)
- Mississippi (native)
- Missouri (native)
- Morocco (native)
- Mozambique (native)
- Myanmar (native)
- Namibia (native)
- Nansei-shoto (native)
- Nepal (native)
- Netherlands Antilles (native)
- Nevada (native)
- New Guinea (native)
- New Mexico (native)
- New South Wales (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- Nicobar Is. (native)
- Niger (native)
- Nigeria (native)
- North Carolina (native)
- Northern Provinces (native)
- Northern Territory (native)
- Oklahoma (native)
- Oman (native)
- Oregon (native)
- Pakistan (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Paraguay (native)
- Pennsylvania (native)
- Peru (native)
- Philippines (native)
- Puerto Rico (native)
- Queensland (native)
- Samoa (native)
- Saudi Arabia (native)
- Senegal (native)
- Seychelles (native)
- Sicilia (native)
- Sinai (native)
- Socotra (native)
- Solomon Is. (native)
- Somalia (native)
- South Carolina (native)
- South China Sea (native)
- Southwest Caribbean (native)
- Spain (native)
- Sri Lanka (native)
- Sudan (native)
- Sulawesi (native)
- Swaziland (native)
- Tanzania (native)
- Texas (native)
- Thailand (native)
- Tibet (native)
- Togo (native)
- Trinidad-Tobago (native)
- Tunisia (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Turks-Caicos Is. (native)
- Uganda (native)
- Uruguay (native)
- Utah (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Venezuelan Antilles (native)
- West Himalaya (native)
- Western Australia (native)
- Windward Is. (native)
- Zambia (native)
- Zaïre (native)
- Zimbabwe (native)
- Canary Is. (introduced)
- Cocos (Keeling) Is. (introduced)
- East Aegean Is. (introduced)
- France (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Mauritius (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- Portugal (introduced)
- Sardegna (introduced)
- South Australia (introduced)
- St.Helena (introduced)
- Victoria (introduced)
Additional Images
Flower
Taken Jul 28, 2021 by figerou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 8, 2021 by Flore BESIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 6, 2017 by Carlos Rubí (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 14, 2017 by Linda Lawliss (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 31, 2016 by Laurie David (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Aug 5, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Eva BOYER (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 17, 2022 by Audrey Pillay (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 3, 2020 by Stéphane Mars (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 10, 2021 by Ad Mar (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 8, 2021 by Chetana Shrestha (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken May 10, 2022 by Dan Maxwell (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 26, 2022 by Manuëlle (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 26, 2022 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 18, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 17, 2020 by Pokotilo Olga (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken May 3, 2013 by Endemia – Benoît Henry (cc-by-nc)
Taken Oct 4, 2022 by Sylvie Dewasmes (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 4, 2022 by Sylvie Dewasmes (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken May 24, 2021 by Raffaella Mazzetti (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 4, 2021 by Prakash Rudraraju (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 15, 2015 by EOL − Linda Jo Conn (cc-by-nc)
Taken Nov 5, 2021 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Oct 15, 2016 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)
Taken Nov 30, 2010 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 30, 2010 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Photoflora – L’Abbé COSTE (©)
Taken May 15, 2014 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:194567-2)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5341112)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene)
Specifications
Growth form: Stoloniferous
Growth habit: Forb/herb
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth
Ph maximum: 8.5
Ph minimum: 6.0
Light: 8
Atmospheric humidity: 7
Bloom months: [‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’, ‘oct’]
Soil nutriments: 5