Nakedstem Dewflower

Description:

This is an annual plant spreading by prostrate stems that root at the nodes. It grows to about five 5 inches tall, or to 8 inches when in bloom. The leaves are grasslike, somewhat fleshy, alternate, linear to lanceolate, sessile, about 3 inches long and less than 1/2 inch broad; the base forms a tight sheath around the stem. The flowers appear in September and are open for only a few hours on sunny afternoons. They are about 3/8 inch broad, with three blue or purplish petals, and are borne in terminal, few-flowered, long-stalked inflorescences. The fruit is a three-parted capsule with four to six seeds.

Habitat:

The plant is native to tropical Asia, from India to Indonesia, but has become naturalized throughout the New World tropics. In the United States, it is found in the southeastern coastal states from Virginia to Texas, as well as in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.