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Torenia crustacea

(L.) Cham. & Schltdl. (1827)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Linderniaceae Genus: Torenia

false pimpernel, lindernia

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems decumbent and usually rooting at the lower nodes, 1–2 dm long, many-branched, sometimes cespitose, puberulent to glabrate.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades ovate to ovate–cordate, 0.5–1.5 cm long, 0.4–1.2 cm wide. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces minutely puberulent. Margins often dull purple, coarsely crenate–serrulate. Petioles 1–6 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, pedicels 5–25 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), pedicels present; bracteoles absent. . Calyx 5-angled, cleft to about the middle, 2–4 mm long at anthesis, elongating up to 6 mm long in fruit. Corolla pale blue or purplish, sometimes pale yellow toward base, 5–8 mm long, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3– lobed, middle one slightly larger than lateral ones, the tube 4–7 mm long. corolla bilabiate, upper lip overlapping lower lip in bud, erect, lower lip wider than upper lip, 3-lobed, the lobes unequal. Stamens 4, in 2 pairs, the upper 2 joined under upper lip of corolla, appendage at base; anthers coherent in pairs. Ovary superior, carpels 1, 2-carpellate, 2-locular, placentation axile; ovules orthotropous, unitegmic, tenuinucellate; style 1; stigma 1, 2-lobed.

Fruit: Capsules oblong–ovoid; 3.5–5 mm long. Seeds pale brown; elliptic; 0.5 mm long; tuberculate.

Ploidy: 2n = 32; 42

Habitat: Naturalized in moist to wet; disturbed areas; especially along roadsides.

Elevation Range: 150–1,220 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (44)

Antirrhinum hexandrum G.Forst. (1786)
Buchnera capillaris Desv. (1825)
Capraria crustacea L. (1767)
Gratiola aspera Roth (1817)
Gratiola lucida Willd. (1797)
Hornemannia ovata Link & Otto (1820)
Linaria hexandra F.Dietr. (1818)
Lindernia crustacea (L.) F.Muell. (1882)
Lindernia crustacea var. clarkei G.S.Giri & Majumdar (1982)
Lindernia crustacea var. smithii O.Deg., I.Deg. & G.C.Ruhle (1958)
Lindernia crustacea var. verticillata (Haines) K.K.Khanna (2001)
Lindernia gracilis (Bonati) Bonati (1927)
Lindernia minuta (Blume) Koord. (1912)
Lindernia obtusa (Blume) Koord. (1912)
Lindernia racemosa Bonati (1927)
Mimulus javanicus Blume (1823)
Morgania aspera Spreng. (1825)
Morgania lucida Spreng. (1825)
Pentsteira paniculata Griff. (1854)
Pyxidaria crustacea (L.) Kuntze (1891)
Pyxidaria minuta (Blume) Kuntze (1891)
Pyxidaria obtusa (Blume) Kuntze (1891)
Tittmannia ovata Rchb. (1824)
Tittmannia scabra Spreng. (1825)
Torenia flaccida R.Br. (1810)
Torenia hexandra R.Br. (1810)
Torenia lucida Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. (1831)
Torenia minuta Blume (1826)
Torenia obtusa Blume (1826)
Torenia ovata Sweet (1826)
Torenia rubella Buch.-Ham. (1831)
Torenia scabra R.Br. (1810)
Torenia varians Roxb. (1832)
Ucnopsolen cordatum Raf. (1840)
Vandellia alba Benth. (1835)
Vandellia bodinieri H.Lév. (1904)
Vandellia brownii Benth. (1846)
Vandellia crustacea (L.) Benth. (1835)
Vandellia crustacea var. verticillata Haines (1922)
Vandellia gracilis Bonati (1908)
Vandellia minuta (Blume) Miq. (1857)
Vandellia obtusa (Blume) Miq. (1857)
Vandellia racemosa Spreng. (1820)
Vandellia varians G.Don (1838)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
Maui Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Linnaea 2: 570 (1827)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1242 (O, H [as Lindernia crustacea]); Oppenheimer 2003:25 (WM); Fischer et al. 2013:231 (Syn. L. crustacea = T. crustacea); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:190 (remove O [re-IDed as Stellaria media])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Torenia crustacea UH-Hilo Edges of lawn. Preserved_Specimen Prostrate to slightly erect herb forming simple plants and rooting at nodes, ca. 2dm ht; leaves 6-15mm long, purple (red form?), some plants are green, others more reddish; flowers purple, corolla ca. 6mm long; fruit capsules ca. 6mm long, not compressed, ovoid. Starr, F. 1080111 Hawaii BISH 2001-08-01
2 Torenia crustacea Kilauea Volcano, caldera floor near Halemaumau Common on warm ground in fumarole field. Preserved_Specimen Reddish depressed plant, flowers purple. Fosberg, F.R. 47734 Hawaii BISH 1965-09-20
3 Torenia crustacea Growing as a weed in a weedy lawn area of a private residence. Lots of disturbance in the area, and most or all of the plants here are weedy exotics. Preserved_Specimen Non-native speccies. Flowering. Sepals winged. Petals mostly a light purple, with the tips being more white. Leaves toothed, and some with a purple tinge to the margins. Warneke, C. 319 Hawaii BISH 2019-09-01
4 Torenia crustacea East Maui, Hana District, Waiohue, Pu'u Ka'a. Park Weed in asphalt cracks and areas adjacent to restrooms along Hana Hwy. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 11102 Maui BISH 2011-11-09
5 Torenia crustacea Puna Distr., along Hwy 13 S of Puna Along roadsides. Preserved_Specimen Common adventive. Nagata, K.M. 2073 Hawaii BISH 1980-07-23
6 Torenia crustacea Kilauea Caldera floor near Halemaumau parking area Abundant in fumarole area, even where exposed to very warm steam. Preserved_Specimen Flowers purple. Fosberg, F.R. 46054 Hawaii BISH 1965-03-20
7 Torenia crustacea Kaumana Substation Disturbed vegetation on 1881 lava flow, vegetation open Metrosideros with understory of introduced shrubs and Dicranopteris. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4637 Hawaii BISH 1982-11-16
8 Torenia crustacea Leilani estated, Malama Rd Preserved_Specimen Herb 2 tall growing on roadside, corolla violet. Anderson, S.J. 413 Hawaii BISH 1981-01-22
9 Torenia crustacea Hilo, Hawaii Growing in the wet lawn of Joan Yoshioka residence, cinder soil. Preserved_Specimen Small herbaceous plant, purple zygomorphic flowers, bottom lip three lobed. Imada, C. 2005232 Hawaii BISH 2005-11-13
10 Torenia crustacea Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Weed from Indo Malaya. Kami, R. 17 Hawaii BISH 1965-06-08
11 Torenia crustacea Puna Distr., land of Olaa, along North Kulani Road ca. 0.5 mi from Mountain View Preserved_Specimen Decumbent herb, rooting at nodes, with blue flowers. Herbst, D.R. 5594 Hawaii BISH 1975-12-16
12 Torenia crustacea Crater Rim Drive, Steam Vent Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5225 Hawaii BISH 1984-01-16
13 Torenia crustacea Keaau macadamia orchards Preserved_Specimen Oaka, H. Hawaii BISH 1973-06-25
14 Torenia crustacea South Kona Distr., just north (ca. 0.5 mi.) of Hookena Elementary School Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Corolla lavender and white. Wagner, W.L. 5934 Hawaii BISH 1988-03-10
15 Torenia crustacea Hio, University of Hawaii at Hilo Campus, edge of campus by Waiakea Stream and palm garden. Shallow soil in moist, sunny area, upper streambed, above the flood height of the stream. Preserved_Specimen Uncommon, corolla purplish. Faccenda, K. 3592 Hawaii BISH 2024-07-09
16 Torenia crustacea W Maui, Lahaina District, Alaeloa, N side of Kaopala Gulch Volunteers in nursery pots. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 80044 Maui BISH 2000-08-25
17 Torenia crustacea South Hilo District, Rt 220, about 2 km from Hwy 19, Roadside weed, uncommon, mowed area Preserved_Specimen Flowers white at apex fading to purple at calyx Faccenda, K. 2353 Hawaii BISH 2022-03-06
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