Weeds I Like IV - Spigelia anthelmia

I love the weed Spigelia anthelmia, "West Indian Pinkroot," for its combination of grace and energy. The arch of its stems and its dramatically veined leaves make it stand out, even in a sea of green. Some plants are taxing to draw, no matter how beautiful. But I always find great pleasure in sketching Spigelia, because I can have fun with it. It really lends itself to exuberant gesture drawings.

Spigelia anthelmia, West Indian Pinkroot

The pinkish tinge in the roots of the plant depicted above is a trick of my very inexpert Photoshop Elements editing. Otherwise I never have found anything evenly remotely pink about the roots of this plant. "Pinkroot" seems to be a frequent common name for plants in this genus, so I assume that the roots of at least one species are, indeed, pink.

The species epithet "anthelmia" indicates that this plant will kill worms, and it is used for that purpose where it is either native or naturalized. However, the leaves are highly toxic, so it's not anything for amateurs to try.  Spigelia anthelmia  is a component of several homeopathic remedies available on the Internet, and said to be useful in treating headache, migraine, nerve pain, sinus discomfort, constipation and indigestion, among other ailments.

The plant is native to Florida, the West Indies, and the New World tropics, and naturalized in many Old World tropical climates. It is a member of the family Loganiaceae, which also contains Gelsemium sempervirens, "Carolina or yellow jessamine," a beautiful but toxic vine native to much of the US, and the "strychnine tree," Strychnos nux-vomica, of India and SE Asia. Not a family you want to mess around with too casually!

Leaves and Flowering Spikes

Spigelia anthelmia can grow as an annual or perennial, and in our yard is most common in spring and summer. It likes moisture, and pops up most frequently in the gravel swale, the lowest, and hence, wettest part of the yard. The rock also keeps the roots cool. The swale is right under the utility lines, so all manner of interesting things can crop up there.

Pencil Sketch

This plant flowers, but its habit and foliage are the real attention-getters. Stems are upright, usually with some curvature, and topped with 2 pairs of dark green opposite leaves. One pair of leaves typically is larger than the other. The plant can reach 23 inches in height, but the ones in our yard are shorter. Leaves can be anything from 2 to 6 inches long, and three-quarters to 3 inches wide.

The top surface of the leaves is textured like fine-grit sandpaper. "Scabridulous" is a lovely botanical term for that. ( I tried to count the number of words in botanical Latin for varioius degrees and forms of hairness/thorniness, but there were so many that I gave up). The undersides of the leaves are smoother and paler green, with prominently raised veins. Stems may be single or several, branched or unbranched.

Flowering spikes emerge from the junction of the leaves, and produce flowers and seeds on one side only. The flowers open from the bottom up. They are very small, and white with maroon stripes. The petals are joined in the corolla tube. I think the flower buds resemble phillips-head screwdrivers. The flowers are only about 3/8 inch long, and about half as wide.

Spigelia anthelmia buds and immature seed pods

Open Flowers

The seed pods are warty, and turn gray brown when mature. Seeds are shiny and black, and are expelled with some force.

A relative, Spigelia marilandica, which has a much wider distribution in the US, is far showier. Its flowers are red with yellow interior, and also considerably larger. In Florida it occurs only in the panhandle.