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yerba de jicotea

narrowleaf primrose-willow

Habit Herbs annual, rarely persistent a second year from woody base. Herbs slender, usually with aerenchyma near base, forming stolons 10–30 cm, 0.8–2.5 mm thick.
Stems

erect, 4-angled, rarely 4-winged, sometimes basally terete, 40–280 cm, simple to densely branched, branches often ascending, glabrous.

erect, slightly ridged, often well branched, (22–)50–100(–145) cm, glabrous or sparsely to densely, minutely strigillose.

Leaves

stipules deltate, 0.2–0.3 × 0.15–0.2 mm;

petiole 0.2–2.2 cm, somewhat flattened and continuous with ridges or wings on stem;

blade elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 2–20 × 0.2–4 cm, base cuneate, margins minutely scabrid, apex acute or acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous or sometimes minutely strigillose along abaxial veins;

bracts often reduced.

alternate;

stipules narrowly ovate or lanceolate, 0.15–0.3 × 0.05–0.15 mm;

stolons: petiole attenuate, 0.2–0.5 cm, blade narrowly to very narrowly elliptic, 1–2.5 × 0.3–0.9 cm, surfaces glabrous or minutely strigillose;

stems: subsessile, blade linear to elliptic-linear, 1.6–6(–8.5) × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) cm, base very narrowly cuneate, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex very narrowly acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely to densely, minutely strigillose or puberulent;

bracts not much reduced.

Inflorescences

leafy spikes, flowers solitary in distal axils;

bracteoles attached at base of ovary or on lower 1/2, without subtending glands, deltate, 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, apex acute.

leafy racemes or spikes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles deciduous, attached on pedicel near ovary base or to 4.5 mm distal to base, linear, 0.4–4(–7.5) × 0.1–0.3 mm.

Flowers

sepals ovate or lanceolate, 3–6 × 1–2 mm, apex acute or short-acuminate, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes strigillose;

petals obovate, 3.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm;

stamens 8 in 2 subequal series, filaments 1.3–1.5 mm, anthers oblong, 0.6–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

ovary obconic, 4-angled, 4–10 × 2–4 mm, usually glabrous, rarely strigillose;

nectary disc plane on ovary apex, 3–4 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrate;

style 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–0.6 mm, stigma globose, 0.8–1 × 1–1.2 mm, not exserted beyond anthers and pollen shed directly on it.

sepals ascending, green, lanceolate-deltate to narrowly so, 2.5–5(–5.5) × 1–3(–3.5) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate or elongate-acuminate to cuspidate, surfaces sparsely to densely strigillose;

petals obovate to suborbiculate, 3–6 × (2–)2.5–5 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex obtuse;

filaments white or cream, 1.1–2.2 mm, anthers lanceolate-oblong, 1–2 × 0.6–1 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary cylindric (wider at apex), 2.5–4.5 ×1–2.5 mm, strigillose;

nectary disc elevated (0.2–)0.3–0.6 mm on ovary apex, yellow, 1.3–2.5 mm diam., 4-lobed, margins glabrous or minutely strigillose;

style yellowish green, (0.4–)0.7–1.5 mm, glabrous or densely strigillose on proximal part, stigma clavate to subcapitate, (0.6–)1–1.9 × 0.6–0.9 mm, shallowly 4-lobed, not exserted beyond anthers.

Capsules

oblong-linear to squarish-cylindric, 4-angled, 10–22 × 2–4 mm, thin-walled, irregularly dehiscent, subsessile.

elongate-obpyramidal, obscurely 4-angled, often with central, longitudinal groove on each side, 5–10(–12) × 2–5.5 mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0–3.5(–5) mm.

Seeds

elongate-ovoid, 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, raphevery reduced and inconspicuous.

light brown, oblong-elliptic,0.5–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells oblong, elongate either parallel or transversely to seed length.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Ludwigia erecta

Ludwigia linearis

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall. Flowering late Jun–Sep.
Habitat Pond margins and depressions, wet sand ditches and prairies. Drainage ditches, along river or stream banks, swales, edges of pocosins, sandy soil in wet meadows, brackish marshes, disturbed ground.
Elevation 0–100[–300] m. (0–300[–1000] ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; FL; Central America; South America; Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Tabasco); West Indies; Africa (Nigeria, Tanzania); Indian Ocean Islands (Comoros Islands, Madagascar, Seychelles)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ludwigia erecta, which is morphologically similar to L. decurrens and often growing with it, is modally self-pollinating and is usually easy to distinguish from that species.

Although Ludwigia erecta is widely distributed in warm temperate regions in the New World and Africa, it appears to be most closely related to species restricted to South America. Its appearance in a rather remote locality in Arizona in 2006 may be attributable to transport there in mud on migrating birds.

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

Ludwigia linearis is widespread in the southeastern United States, with a complex pattern of morphological variation, especially in stem pubescence, ranging from glabrous to densely strigillose, but without strong geographical separation (C. I. Peng 1989).

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

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Ludwigioideae > Ludwigia > sect. Pterocaulon Onagraceae > subfam. Ludwigioideae > Ludwigia > sect. Isnardia
Sibling taxa
L. alata, L. alternifolia, L. arcuata, L. bonariensis, L. brevipes, L. curtissii, L. decurrens, 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. 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
Synonyms Jussiaea erecta, Isnardia discolor, J. acuminata, J. acuminata var. latifolia, J. acuminata var. longifolia, J. altissima, J. declinata, J. erecta var. plumeriana, J. erecta var. sebana, J. onagra, J. plumeriana, J. ramosa, L. acuminata Isnardia linearis, L. angustifolia, L. linearis var. puberula
Name authority (Linnaeus) H. Hara: J. Jap. Bot. 28: 292. (1953) Walter: Fl. Carol., 89. (1788)
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