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lance-leaf loosestrife

Appalachian loosestrife, southern loosestrife, southern yellow loosestrife

Stems

erect, simple or sometimes branched distally, 1–10 dm, glabrous (rarely sparsely stipitate-glandular or pubescent near nodes);

rhizomes slender;

bulblets absent.

erect, simple or branched distally, 3–7 dm, stipitate-glandular or pubescent;

rhizomes slender to thickened (sometimes absent);

bulblets absent.

Leaves

opposite or whorled near stem apex, dimorphic;

distal petioles absent or 0.1–0.7 cm, proximal 0.3–2(–3.5) cm, ciliate proximally, cilia 0.3–1.2(–2) mm;

distal blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, proximal blades broadly elliptic or lanceolate, distal 3–18 × 0.2–1.6 cm, proximal 2–5 × 0.6–1.8 cm, bases of distal leaves cuneate, decurrent, bases of proximal leaves rounded to obtuse or cuneate, decurrent, margins entire (rarely serrulate), plane, ciliolate proximally, apex rounded to acute or acuminate, surfaces not punctate, glabrous;

venation pinnate-arcuate.

opposite;

petiole 0.5–4.5 cm, ciliate proximally near node, cilia 0.2–0.7(–1.2) mm;

blade lanceolate to ovate, 3–9 × (0.8–)1–4.5 cm, base truncate, rounded, or cuneate, decurrent, margins entire or slightly sinuate, plane, sometimes obscurely ciliolate (rarely stipitate-glandular), apex acute to acuminate, surfaces not punctate, glabrous;

venation pinnate-arcuate.

Inflorescences

axillary, solitary flowers.

axillary in distal leaves, solitary flowers or verticils.

Pedicels

1–5 cm, glabrous to sparsely stipitate-glandular (rarely pubescent).

0.8–4 cm, stipitate-glandular at least distally.

Flowers

sepals 5, calyx not streaked, 3.5–8(–10) mm, glabrous or stipitate-glandular, lobes narrowly lanceolate to ovate, margins thin;

petals 5, corolla yellow, sometimes with slightly reddish base, not streaked, rotate, 4–10 mm, lobes with margins slightly erose apically, apex apiculate or mucronate, sparsely stipitate-glandular adaxially;

filaments distinct or nearly so, shorter than corolla;

staminodes 0.7–1 mm.

sepals 5, calyx not streaked, 2.5–7.5 mm, glandular proximally or glabrous, lobes ovate to lanceolate, margins somewhat thickened;

petals 5, corolla yellow, often with reddish base, not streaked, rotate, 6–12 mm, lobes with margins usually entire or sometimes erose distally, apex apiculate, stipitate-glandular adaxially;

filaments distinct or nearly so, shorter than corolla;

staminodes 0.6–1 mm.

Capsules

2–5 mm, usually not punctate, glabrous or slightly stipitate-glandular distally.

3.5–5.8 mm, not punctate, glabrous.

2n

= 34.

= 34, 102.

Lysimachia lanceolata

Lysimachia tonsa

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Moist roadsides, mixed and deciduous forests, edges of wet meadows, lake shores, swales in open prairie, rocky sites Moist hardwood forests, pine-oak woods, sandstone bluffs, rocky areas
Elevation 0-1600 m (0-5200 ft) 0-600 m (0-2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; ND; NJ; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; MB; ON
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; GA; KY; NC; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Reports of Lysimachia lanceolata from Connecticut and Maine were based on specimens of L. hybrida initially identified as L. lanceolata subsp. hybrida.

V. J. Coffey and S. B. Jones (1980), using garden studies, concluded that this species differed from the similar Lysimachia hybrida in some features, mostly dealing with leaf shape and amount of marginal cilia. Herbarium specimens examined by me showed much more overlap in these characters; clearly these two species need further work. Coffey and Jones also reported, interestingly, that L. lanceolata was less susceptible to aphid infestation than L. hybrida.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 313. FNA vol. 8, p. 318.
Parent taxa Myrsinaceae > Lysimachia Myrsinaceae > Lysimachia
Sibling taxa
L. asperulifolia, L. ciliata, L. clethroides, L. fraseri, L. graminea, L. hybrida, L. japonica, L. loomisii, L. maritima, L. nummularia, L. punctata, L. quadriflora, L. quadrifolia, L. radicans, L. terrestris, L. thyrsiflora, L. tonsa, L. vulgaris, L. ×producta
L. asperulifolia, L. ciliata, L. clethroides, L. fraseri, L. graminea, L. hybrida, L. japonica, L. lanceolata, L. loomisii, L. maritima, L. nummularia, L. punctata, L. quadriflora, L. quadrifolia, L. radicans, L. terrestris, L. thyrsiflora, L. vulgaris, L. ×producta
Synonyms L. angustifolia, L. heterophylla, L. lanceolata var. angustifolia, Nummularia lanceolata, Steironema heterophyllum, Steironema lanceolatum L. ciliata var. tonsa, L. tonsa var. simplex, Steironema intermedium, Steironema tonsum
Name authority Walter: Fl. Carol., 92. 1788 , (Alph. Wood) Alph. Wood ex R. Knuth: in H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. 22[IV,237]: 277. 1905 ,
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