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anglestem primrose-willow, anglestem waterprimrose

shrubby primrose-willow, shrubby primrose-willow or seedbox

Habit Herbs, perennial or (robust) annual, or shrubs, often with woody base, when aquatic, forming white pneumatophores from nodes. Herbs with 1–3 rhizomes 0.6–5.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm, often branched, glabrous or densely hirtellous, sometimes also forming stolons 8–80 cm, 1.1–2.2 mm thick, branched, glabrous or sparsely to densely hirtellous.
Stems

usually erect or strongly ascending, rarely floating or creeping, terete to somewhat angled on young branches, 30–250 cm, well branched to sparsely branched or simple, usually villous, often also strigillose, rarely glabrous, with raised lines decurrent from leaf axils.

erect, slightly ridged, unbranched or slightly branched, (16–)30–90 cm, glabrous or strigillose to hirtellous, especially on distal parts.

Leaves

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

petiole 0.2–3.5 cm;

blade broadly lanceolate, 3.5–18 × 1–4 cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins subentire, apex acuminate, surfaces hirsute or villous;

bracts slightly to much reduced.

alternate;

stipules deltate, 0.25–0.45 × 0.15–0.4 mm;

rhizomes: sessile, blades minute, appressed, and scalelike, oblate or suborbiculate, 0.3–0.6 × 0.6–0.9 mm;

stolons: petiole 0.1–0.6 cm, blade oblong or oblanceolate-elliptic to spatulate, 0.4–3.5 × 0.2–1.5 cm;

main stem: sessile, blade lanceolate-elliptic or lanceolate-linear to linear, 2.5–9.5 × (0.1–)0.3–0.9 cm, proximal ones shorter and often oblong or oblong-lanceolate, base rounded or obtuse, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex acuminate to acute, surfaces glabrous or, sometimes, pilose on proximal blades;

bracts very reduced.

Inflorescences

leafy racemes, flowers solitary in axils;

bracteoles often absent, when present, narrowly deltate, 2–3 × 1.2–2.4 mm, attached near ovary base.

densely clustered, terminal racemes or spikes, 1–5(–12) cm;

bracteoles attached at base of ovary or on pedicel distally, narrowly lanceolate, 3.5–5(–6) × (1.2–)1.4–2 mm, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes pilose abaxially.

Flowers

sepals ovate-deltate, 5.5–11 × 1.5–3 mm, margins entire, apex acuminate, surfaces villous;

petals orange-yellow, obovate, 5–11 × 4–8 mm;

stamens (8 or)10 or 12(or 14), in 2 unequal series, longer filaments 2.5–4.5 mm, shorter ones 1.5–2.5 mm, anthers oblong, 1.2–1.6 × 0.7–1 mm, extrorse;

ovary cylindric, subterete, 10–16 × 2–3 mm, glabrate to strigillose or villous;

nectary disc slightly elevated at ovary apex, 2–4 mm diam., lobed, depressed, surrounded by densely matted white hairs;

style 3–4.5 mm, glabrous, stigma capitate-globose, 1–1.5 × 2–2.5 mm, ± exserted beyond anthers.

sepals ascending, pale green or white adaxially, broadly ovate-deltate, 2.3–3.5(–4) × 2.3–3.2(–3.8) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments yellow or cream, 1.2–2 mm, distinctly dilated toward base, anthers 0.7–1(–1.3) × 0.5–0.7 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary broadly obovoid or cup-shaped, 2.2–3 × 2.3–3.3 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.5–0.6 mm on ovary apex, pale yellow, 1.8–3.1 mm diam., obscurely 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale yellow, 0.9–1.7 mm, glabrous, stigma pale green to white, globose to capitate, 0.4–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm, distinctly 4-lobed, not exserted beyond anthers.

Capsules

obscurely [4 or]5 or 6[or 7]-angled or subterete, straight or curved, 15–50 × 2.5–4 mm, relatively thin-walled, seeds visible as bumps, tardily and irregularly loculicidal, villous, pedicel 2–20 mm.

broadly obpyramidal, angles rounded, sometimes subspherical, 2.5–4.3 ×2.5–4.5(–5) mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.

Seeds

in 1 row per locule, horizontal and loosely embedded in an easily detached horseshoe-shaped segment of firm endocarp, pale brown, obovoid, 1–1.2 mm, shiny, finely pitted, raphe much narrower than seed body.

brown, elliptic-oblong, curved on both ends, 0.5–0.6 × 0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells ± isodiametric.

2n

= 32, 48.

= 32.

Ludwigia leptocarpa

Ludwigia suffruticosa

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Wet places, mainly along coastal areas, especially ditches, banks near brackish water. Sandy ditches, marshes, wet meadows, limestone sinks, cypress swamps, moist pinelands.
Elevation 0–200[–1300] m. (0–700[–4300] ft.) 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; Central America; South America; Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); West Indies (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico); Africa; Indian Ocean Islands (Madagascar)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ludwigia leptocarpa is a globally widespread and morphologically variable species; in the flora area it is distributed widely in wet areas of the southeastern United States. Both tetraploid and hexaploid plants are known, but it is not clear if or how ploidy level is related to the considerable morphological variation, especially in pubescence type and pattern.

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

Ludwigia suffruticosa is distinctive by virtue of its highly condensed inflorescence and sessile leaves. It also differs from other species in sect. Isnardia in that it perennates mainly by underground rhizomes. This apetalous species has showy bracts and attracts many insects, including bumblebees, wasps, and honeybees (C. I. Peng 1989). Its center of distribution is in Florida, extending along the coastal plain barely to Alabama on the west and barely to southern North Carolina on the northeast. Recent reports of this species from Mississippi and from Mexico (Chiapas and Oaxaca) have not been confirmed.

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

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Ludwigioideae > Ludwigia > sect. Seminudae Onagraceae > subfam. Ludwigioideae > Ludwigia > sect. Isnardia
Sibling taxa
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. 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. octovalvis, L. palustris, L. peploides, L. peruviana, L. pilosa, L. polycarpa, L. ravenii, L. repens, L. simpsonii, L. spathulata, L. sphaerocarpa, L. virgata
Synonyms Jussiaea leptocarpa, J. biacuminata, J. foliosa, J. leptocarpa subsp. angustissima, J. leptocarpa var. angustissima, J. leptocarpa var. meyeriana, J. pilosa, J. pilosa var. robustior, J. schottii, J. surinamensis, J. variabilis, J. variabilis var. meyeriana, J. variabilis var. pilosa, L. leptocarpa var. angustissima, L. leptocarpa var. meyeriana Isnardia suffruticosa
Name authority (Nuttall) H. Hara: J. Jap. Bot. 28: 292. (1953) Walter: Fl. Carol., 90. (1788)
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