Iva frutescens L.

Locations ofIva frutescens L. in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Iva frutescens L.
Common Name
Marsh-elder
Synonym(s)
Iva frutescens L. var. frutescens; Iva frutescens L. var. oraria (Bartl.) R.C. Jacks.
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Iva frutescens L.
Comments
Southern (var. frutescens) and northern (var. oraria) varieties have been proposed by some authorities, but these are lumped without comment in FNA. According to Flora of the Southeastern U.S. (Weakley et al. 2023), intermediates will be encountered in a "zone of overlap" from NJ to ne. NC; but their contention that even within the overlap zone "most plants are readily identified to variety" does not seem to hold up in Virginia, where evidence for two distinct taxa is lacking. Further study may be warranted but at least for now, we are unable to map anything but the species.
Habitat
Oligohaline to mesohaline tidal marshes, tidal swamps, salt scrub, interdune swales and ponds; rarely in disturbed habitats inland. Frequent to locally common in the lower estuarine and maritime zones of the Coastal Plain; rare and possibly introduced in disturbed habitats of the s. Piedmont.
Native Status
Native

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