Native Plants
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Pyxidanthera barbulata
Pyxidanthera barbulata Michx.
Flowering Pixiemoss, Pyxie
Diapensiaceae (Diapensia Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: PYBA
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A moss-like, trailing plant with numerous unstalked, white or pinkish, upright flowers at ends of short leafy branches.
This species, especially showy when in flower, is typical of dry sandy areas such as the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. The genus name, from the Greek pyxis ("small box") and the Latin anthera ("anther"), refers to the fact that the anthers open by means of a lid-like structure. Shortleaf Pyxie (P. brevifolia) has leaves hairy over the entire surface; it grows in the Carolinas.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Subshrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Trailing stems up to about 10 inches long.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , PinkBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
USA: NC , NJ , NY , SC , VANative Distribution: New York and New Jersey; Virginia to South Carolina.
Native Habitat: Sandy pine barrens.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FAC | FACU | FACU |
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Pyxidanthera barbulata in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Pyxidanthera barbulata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Pyxidanthera barbulata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-03-30Research By: TWC Staff