Frog Fruit
Phyla nodiflora
Among short grass and weeds near edge of Lake Baringo, Kenya, East Africa. Oct. 2016.
LEAVES: Leaves some what fleshy and obovate. Margins toothed especially at end.
Opposite leaves.
HERB: Usually grows along the ground, vine-like, sometimes forming mats. Roots develop at the nodes where they are in contact with the soil.
FLOWERS: Pale lavender or pink flowers appear in short compact spikes. The flowers are 2 mm in diameter and on
spikes from 1 to 5 cm long.
RANGE: This is an exotic plant originally from tropical America and now has a pantropical distribution especially in disturbed moist soils.
FRUIT: Spikes densely packed with small fleshy capsules.
UNARMED.