Houttuynia

Scientific name

Houttuynia Thunb.

Common names

chameleon plant, ghost plant

Family

Saururaceae

Similar genera

Anemopsis, Hibiscus, Saururus, Sphenoclea

Native distribution

Asia

Species cultivated

Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Adventive distribution

introduced into Australasia and the United States (Louisiana)

Weed status

occasionally considered weedy

Habit

emergent, herbaceous stem plant

Brief description

Perennial. Stem erect or ascending. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, widely spaced, petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
, stipulestipule:
(n) one or a pair of appendages that sometimes develop at the base of a leaf; may be leaf-like, scarious, or spine-like
present; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ovate, base cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
palmatepalmate:
(adj) (of leaves or venation) with lobes, leaflets, divisions or veins originating from the same point
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a short spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
subtended by large white (usually) petaloidpetaloid:
(adj) resembling a petal in appearance
bracts. Flowers small, bisexualbisexual:
(adj) having both male and female sexual reproductive structures on one individual or in one flower
or unisexualunisexual:
(adj) (of a flower) with either stamens (male) or pistils (female) but not both; consisting of only male or female flowers
, sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
; sepals and petals absent; stamens 3, conspicuous. Dispersal by seed. Aromatic when damaged.

Natural habitat

swamps and bogs, found particularly on wet ground and in littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
zone of ponds and streams

Additional comments

A single species is in the genus. The cultivar H. cordata 'Chameleon', with yellow and red variegated leaves, is more commonly grown than the species.