Sabatia campestris
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| Sabatia campestris Nutt. |
The Meadow Pink (Sabatia campestris) is a purple wildflower of the family Gentianaceae, native to the south-eastern region of the North American continent. It is otherwise known as the "Texas Star", "Prairie rose-gentian" and "Prairie sabatia".
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[edit] Physical properties
It measures around 8 inches (20cm) tall with 1 inch (2.5cm) long and 1/2 inch (1.25cm) wide opposite leaves. The flowers are hermaphrodite (contain both male and female organs) and they are located at the ends of individual braches on long auxilary stalks. They are found grouped together in clusters at the top of the plant.
Each flower contains five pink-coloured and round-shaped petals with a yellow center. The colour of the petals are usually deep pink but it can occasionally range from purplish pink to white.
[edit] Habitat
The sabatia campestris is usually located in the South-eastern regions of North America, ranging from the US states of Kansas and Missouri to Texas. It's natural habitats are mainly fields, priaries (hence the name, Priarie rose-gentian), open ground, woods and roadside edges.
[edit] Cultivation
The plant requires moist soil as a first and foremost basic neccessity, but it prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils with a pH ranging from acid and nuetral, to alkaline, and with partial to full sun. It also functions well in cultivated beds.
[edit] Propagation
The plant grows best when it is ripe, which is usually in the period around the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. It is strongly recommended to sow in peaty soil in a moist, shady border, or if sown in pots, to sow in a shady part of the cold frame and add 2 to 3cm of water to moisturize the soil
[edit] Human uses
The meadow pink can be used for medical purposes to extract anti-periodic and tonic. The anti-periodic helps combat recurring illnesses such as malaria and the tonic helps improve overall health. It is also possible to obtain a herbal tea from the plant, called tonic tea which is edible for human consumption.
