- Phlox
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For other uses, see Phlox (disambiguation).
Phlox Phlox paniculata (garden phlox) Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Ericales Family: Polemoniaceae Genus: Phlox
L.Species See text
Phlox (pronounced /ˈflɒks/ "flocks": Greek φλόξ "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", Greek φλόγες phlóges) is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and autumn.
Flowers may be pale blue, violet, pink, bright red, or white. Many are fragrant.
Fertilized flowers typically produce one relatively large seed. The fruit is a longitudinally dehiscent capsule with three valves that sometimes separate explosively.[1]
Some species such as P. paniculata (Garden Phlox) grow upright, while others such as P. subulata (Steak Phlox) grow short and matlike.
The foliage of Phlox is sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Dot Moth, Gazoryctra wielgusi, Hummingbird Hawk-moth and Schinia indiana (which feeds exclusively on P. pilosa). Phlox species are also a popular food source for groundhogs, rabbits and deer.
Phlox can be propagated from stem cuttings.
Species
There are 67 species, including:
- Phlox adsurgens
Northern phlox, Periwinkle phlox, Woodland phlox - Phlox alyssifolia
Alyssumleaf phlox - Phlox amplifolia
Largeleaf phlox - Phlox andicola
Moss phlox, Plains phlox, Prairie phlox - Phlox austromontana
Mountain phlox - Phlox bifida
Cleft phlox - Phlox borealis
- Phlox bryoides
- Phlox buckleyi
Swordleaf phlox - Phlox caespitosa
Cushion phlox - Phlox carolina
Carolina phlox, Thickleaf phlox - Phlox condensata
Dwarf phlox - Phlox cuspidata
Pointed phlox - Phlox diffusa
Mat phlox, Spreading phlox - Phlox divaricata
Blue phlox, Woodland Phlox, Louisiana phlox, Sweet william - Phlox dolichantha
Big Bear Valley phlox - Phlox douglasii
- Phlox drummondii
Drummond phlox, Annual phlox - Phlox floridana
Florida phlox - Phlox glaberrima
Marsh phlox, Smooth phlox - Phlox glabriflora
Rio Grande phlox - Phlox hirsuta
Yreka phlox - Phlox hoodii
Carpet phlox, Spiny phlox - Phlox idahonis
Idaho phlox
- Phlox kelseyi
Kelsey's phlox - Phlox latifolia
Mountain phlox, Wideflower phlox - Phlox longifolia
Longleaf phlox - Phlox maculata
Meadow phlox, Phlox, Wild sweet William - Phlox mesoleuca
Threadleaf phlox - Phlox missoulensis
Missoula phlox - Phlox mollis
Soft phlox - Phlox multiflora
Flowery phlox, Rocky Mountain phlox - Phlox nana
Canyon phlox, Santa Fe phlox, White-eyed phlox - Phlox nivalis
Trailing phlox - Phlox ovata
Mountain phlox - Phlox paniculata
Garden Phlox, Fall phlox, Perennial phlox - Phlox pilosa
Downy phlox, Fragrant phlox, Prairie phlox - Phlox pulchra
Alabama phlox - Phlox pulvinata
Cushion phlox - Phlox roemeriana
Goldeneye phlox - Phlox sibirica
Siberian phlox - Phlox speciosa
Showy phlox, Woodhouse's phlox - Phlox stansburyi
Cold-desert phlox - Phlox stolonifera
Creeping phlox - Phlox subulata
Moss phlox, Rock pink - Phlox tenuifolia
Santa Catalina Mountain phlox
Cultivation
Several species of phlox are commonly cultivated in gardens. Most cultivated phlox, with the notable exception of Drummond phlox, are perennial. Phlox cultivars are available in shades of white, purple, blue, pink, and yellow. Most are best grown in well-drained soil, exposed to partial shade to partial sun. Phlox are valued in the garden for their ability to attract butterflies.
References
- ^ Klaus Kubitzki (2004). Flowering plants, Dicotyledons: Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales. Springer. p. 311. http://books.google.ca/books?id=O-tHGAaaf2cC&pg=PA311&lpg=PA311&dq=polemoniaceae+dehiscence&source=bl&ots=S0is6tGltd&sig=HMQFiZLDMxmqmcnFlmOw89G9c9s&hl=en&ei=wiWkTv_xDO_J0AHuuM3RBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- Dole, Claire H. (2000). "Phlox: A Butterfly and Moth Magnet". http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/bgq/Phlox.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
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