Macbridea

Scientific name

Macbridea Elliott

Common names

birds-in-a-nest, white birds-in-a-nest, Carolina birds-in-a-nest, Carolina bog mint

Family

Lamiaceae

Similar genera

Epilobium, Hypericum, Limnophila, Lobelia, Mimulus, Penthorum, Physostegia, Veronica

Native distribution

Southeastern United States

Macbridea alba Chapm. is endemicendemic:
(adj) restricted to a certain geographical location
to Florida

M. caroliniana (Walter) S.F. Blake is native to coastal Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina

Species cultivated

not currently cultivated

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy; threatened

Habit

small ascending to erect, littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
herb

Brief description

Rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
; stem typically simple or branched, erect, square, with swollen nodes, often pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
; over-winters as a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
. Leaves oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
; lower leaves with winged petioles, upper leaves sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
oblanceolateoblanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped, with attachment at or near the narrow end. (compare lanceolate)
to ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
to acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
; base attenuateattenuate:
(adj) narrowing gradually to a point
or ± round; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire to shallowly serrateserrate:
(adj) (of a leaf margin) bearing sharp teeth pointing forward or to the apex
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnate, midribmidrib:
(n) the main or central vein, line or rib in a leaf or perianth segment
prominent. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
, compact thyrsethyrse:
(n) inflorescence in which the main axis is racemose and the secondary axes are cymose
that appears as a dense cluster; bracts several, enclosing the calyxcalyx:
(n) the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
to form the “nest” of birds-in-a-nest. Flowers zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
, bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
, white or pink to lavender; calyxcalyx:
(n) the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
small; corollacorolla:
(n) the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
tube 2-lipped, lower lip 3-lobed, upper lip cucullatecucullate:
(adj) hooded or hood-shaped
.

Natural habitat

in marshes, bogs, swamps, mesic pine flatwoods, bottomland woodlands; in blackwater, less often in brown water

Additional comments

Macbridea contains two littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
species: Macbridea alba and M. caroliniana. Macbridea caroliniana is similar to several species of Physostegia, but can be distinguished by the following characteristics: Physostegia purpurea has an elongated, erect, branching inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
; P. leptophylla is typically a taller plant, with bluntly toothed leaves and a loose spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
; and P. angustifolia has sharply toothed leaves. M. alba can be easily recognized by its white flowers.