Spigelia marilandica, Woodland Pinkroot

Woodland pinkroot Woodland pinkroot is a showy perennial wildflower. Its flowers are tubular, about 2 inches long and erect. Its petals are scarlet red on the outside and bright yellow on the inside. Its wide leaves are oval in shape, sessile, and oppositely arranged. Its seeds are contained in dehiscent capsules that, when ripe, will pop open and propel the seeds well beyond the mother plant. Woodland pinkroot blooms in late spring through summer and sometimes into fall. It occurs naturally in upland hardwood forests, slope forests and bluffs, and is pollinated by hummingbirds as well as other insects. There are approximately 60 species of Spigelia that occur from the southern US south to Argentina. Only four species are native to Florida, and two are endangered: gentian pinkroot (S. gentianoides), which has pink flowers, and Florida pinkroot (S. loganioides), which has white flowers. The latter is endemic to only five counties in Central Florida. Woodland pinkroot (S. marilandica)