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Carolina primrose-willow

Mexican primrose-willow

Habit Herbs, from woody rootstock. Herbs (robust)or shrubs, herbs tap-rooted, often woody at base, with peeling bark.
Stems

erect, subterete, 20–120 cm, branched, glabrate proximally, or strigillose, especially in distal parts, with raised strigillose lines decurrent from leaf axils mid stem.

erect to spreading, terete or sometimes ridged, 60–250(–400) cm, densely branched, densely villous to glabrate, especially near base.

Leaves

stipules narrowly deltate, 0.3–0.5 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

petiole winged, 0.1–0.7 cm;

blade narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 4–15 × 0.3–1(–3) cm, base tapered, margins subentire to inconspicuously glandular-serrulate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces finely strigillose, especially on abaxial veins, sometimes glabrate;

bracts narrower, reduced in size.

stipules deltate, 0.5–0.8 × 0.6–0.7 mm, fleshy;

petiole 0–1 cm;

blade linear to oblong or oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly ovate, 0.7–14.5 × 0.1–4 cm, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces ± densely villous or strigillose;

bracts not or scarcely reduced.

Inflorescences

open, leafy racemes, flowers solitary in axils;

bracteoles lanceolate-linear or setaceous, 2–6 × 0.3–0.8 mm, attached on pedicel just proximal to base of ovary.

open, leafy racemes, flowers solitary in axils, presentation often radial;

bracteoles ovate, 3–8 × 1.4–4 mm, apex acuminate, attached near base of ovary.

Flowers

sepals ovate-deltate, 10–20 × 7–12 mm, abruptly acuminate or acute, inconspicuously 5–7-nerved, surfaces strigillose;

petals deep golden yellow, broadly obovate, 20–35 × 10–30 mm, apex shallowly emarginate, claw 1.5–3 mm;

stamens 8 in 2 unequal series, filaments flattened and dilated near base, epipetalous set 3.4–4.5 mm, episepalous set 4.5–5.5 mm, anthers oblong, 4–5 mm;

pollen shed in polyads;

ovary subcylindric, slightly 4-angled, 8–12(–20) mm;

nectary disc slightly elevated on ovary apex, 2–3 mm diam., 4-lobed, ringed by short hairs;

style 3–3.5 mm, stigma clavate-capitate, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, often exserted beyond anthers.

sepals lanceolate to ovate, (6–)8–13 × 3–7 mm, apex acuminate, surfaces strigillose adaxially;

petals bright yellow, fan-shaped, (5–)10–20 × 5–20 mm, apex sometimes shallowly notched;

stamens 8 in 2 subequal series, yellowish white, filaments spreading, 4–6 mm, anthers oblong, 2.5–5 × 1–2 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads or sometimes polyads;

ovary cylindric, 4-angled, sometimes slightly twisted, 8–22 × 1–3 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.4–0.5 mm on ovary apex, 1–2.4 mm diam., with 4 white-pubescent sunken lobes opposite petals;

style 2.5–3.5 mm, stigma capitate-globose, 1.8–3.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, surrounded by anthers and pollen shed directly on it.

Capsules

clavate-cylindric, subterete to obtusely 4-angled, 20–35 × 3.5–5 mm, thin walls, irregularly dehiscent, tapering to pedicel 10–40 mm.

cylindric to clavate-cylindric, subterete to ± 4-angled, 17–50 × 2.5–8 mm, thin-walled, irregularly dehiscent by 4–8 linear valves splitting from apex, short-villous, pedicel 5–25 mm.

Seeds

in several indistinct rows per locule, yellow-brown, oblong (appearing round), 0.5 mm, shiny, raphe 2/3 as wide as body.

in several indistinct rows per locule, broad-cylindric with rounded ends, 0.6–0.9 × 0.5–0.8 mm, raphe inflated and nearly equal to seed body.

2n

= 16.

= [16], 32, 48.

Ludwigia bonariensis

Ludwigia octovalvis

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Wet places, mainly along coastal areas, especially ditches, banks near brackish water. Wet or moist places, along coasts, streams, ditches, swamps, often near disturbance or cultivation.
Elevation 0–200[–2600] m. (0–700[–8500] ft.) 0–300[–2200] m. (0–1000[–7200] ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; MS; NC; SC; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; s Asia; e Asia (Burma, China, India, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam); Africa; Indian Ocean Islands (Comoros Islands, Madagascar); Pacific Islands (New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ludwigia octovalvis is perhaps the most widespread species of Ludwigia worldwide and exhibits a very complex pattern of morphological and ecological variation, correlated only in part with multiple ploidy levels; this complexity is reflected in its extensive synonymy. P. H. Raven (1963[1964]), P. A. Munz (1942, 1965), and others have proposed formal classifications to account for this variation, with mixed results and additional study using more powerful analytical tools is clearly needed in order to develop a more stable classification. In the absence of better understanding, and despite some correlated patterns of morphological and geographical variation on a global scale, this treatment does not recognize infraspecific taxa.

Jussiaea hirsuta Velloso, J. suffruticosa var. angustifolia Chodat & Hassler, J. velutina Kunze, and Ludwigia suffruticosa (Linnaeus) M. Gómez are later homonyms; these four names pertain here.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Ludwigioideae > Ludwigia > sect. Macrocarpon Onagraceae > subfam. Ludwigioideae > Ludwigia > sect. Macrocarpon
Sibling taxa
L. alata, L. alternifolia, L. arcuata, L. brevipes, L. curtissii, L. decurrens, L. erecta, L. glandulosa, L. grandiflora, L. hexapetala, L. hirtella, L. lanceolata, L. leptocarpa, L. linearis, L. linifolia, L. maritima, L. microcarpa, L. octovalvis, L. palustris, L. peploides, L. peruviana, L. pilosa, L. polycarpa, L. ravenii, L. repens, L. simpsonii, L. spathulata, L. sphaerocarpa, L. suffruticosa, L. virgata
L. alata, L. alternifolia, L. arcuata, L. bonariensis, L. brevipes, L. curtissii, L. decurrens, L. erecta, L. glandulosa, L. grandiflora, L. hexapetala, L. hirtella, L. lanceolata, L. leptocarpa, L. linearis, L. linifolia, L. maritima, L. microcarpa, L. palustris, L. peploides, L. peruviana, L. pilosa, L. polycarpa, L. ravenii, L. repens, L. simpsonii, L. spathulata, L. sphaerocarpa, L. suffruticosa, L. virgata
Synonyms Jussiaea bonariensis, J. neglecta, J. suffruticosa var. bonariensis Oenothera octovalvis, Jussiaea calycina, J. clavata, J. frutescens, J. haenkeana, J. hirta, J. ligustrifolia, J. occidentalis, J. octofila, J. octonervia, J. octonervia var. sessiliflora, J. octovalvis, J. parviflora, J. peruviana var. octofila, J. pubescens, J. sagrana, J. salicifolia, J. scabra, J. suffruticosa, J. suffruticosa var. ligustrifolia, J. suffruticosa var. linearifolia, J. suffruticosa var. octofila, J. suffruticosa subsp. octonervia, J. suffruticosa var. octonervia, J. suffruticosa var. sessiliflora, J. suffruticosa var. sintenisii, J. venosa, J. villosa, L. octovalvis var. ligustrifolia, L. octovalvis var. octofila, L. octovalvis subsp. sessiliflora, L. octovalvis var. sessiliflora, L. pubescens, L. pubescens var. ligustrifolia, L. pubescens var. linearifolia, L. pubescens var. sessiliflora, L. sagrana
Name authority (Micheli) H. Hara: J. Jap. Bot. 28: 291. (1953) (Jacquin) P. H. Raven: Kew Bull. 15: 476. (1962)
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