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Project Noah Nature School
Lantana urticoides
A spreading shrub, much branched from the ground upward, branches sometimes with prickles. Frequent in brushy places and in woodlands. Bark light gray to light brown, tending to flake off. Young twigs nearly square in cross section, covered with short hairs visible under a 10x hand lens. Leaves opposite, up to 2 1/2 inches long, broadly ovate, pointed at the tip, flattened at the base, upper surface rough to the touch; margins coarsely toothed, teeth broad, pointed or rounded. Flowers colorful, red, orange, and yellow, tubular with four flared lobes; in dense, rounded clusters with a leafy bract subtending each flower, at the ends of long paired stems (peduncles) usually extending beyond the leaves, appearing from April to October. Fruit round, fleshy, dark blue to black.
This species is a member of the verbena family (family Verbenaceae), which includes about 75 genera and 3,000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees, mostly of tropical and warm temperate regions. Among them, teak is a highly prized furniture wood, and Vervain, Lantana, Lippia or Frog Fruit, and Chase Tree or Vitex are grown as ornamentals.
This plant was cool, saw it at WG Jones state forest. It has red and yellow petals! Just noticed the American painted lady, Texas lantana is a favorite to them.
I noticed that too, I searched it on google because that did look like it except the color and I found one called Texas lantana that is a native species, I thought it was interesting haha
Seema is right, it is a lantana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana.
Interesting thing about your spotting in combination with your location is, it's actually considered an invasive species in my state of Florida as well as in your state, Texas. Not to suggest you uproot it or harm any of them but if landscaping maybe plan to use another, more endangered species. :) nice spotting though!
Spotted on Apr 1, 2012
Submitted on Apr 5, 2012
