Ludwigia leptocarpa (Nutt.) H. Hara

Anglestem primrose-willow, river seedbox, water-willow

Anglestem primrosewillow, a member of the primrose family, is native to southeastern North America.

Plants: May be annual or perennial, falling somewhere between herbaceous and sub­shrub. These semi-aquatic plants have hairy stems that may be upright or ascending, and are up to 8′ (2.5 m) tall. They have ridges along their length.

Leaves: Alternate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, with smooth edges. Leaves are 1¼–7″ (3.5–18 cm) long, sessile, and variably pubescent. Leaf undersides have a prominent raised vein.

Flowers: Flowers emerge from leaf axils. Bright yellow flowers have either five or six sepals and five or six petals. The sepals are ⅛–⅜″ (5–11 mm) long, lanceolate, and sharp-tipped. Petals are obovate, with ten stamens and one pistil. Flowers appear from August to October.

Fruits: Capsules are downright weird-looking, resembling red, swollen flower stalks. They are ½–1¾″ long ⨉ 1/16–⅛″ around (1.5–5 cm ⨉ 2.4–4 mm), somewhat curved, and round­ish, though often ridged. They dry out and release seeds that are ~1/32″ (1–1.2 mm) long.

Habitats: Riverbanks, margins of ponds and sloughs, in shallow water or wet soils, usually at elevations of less than 656′ (200 m), but rarely up to 4265′ (1.3 km). They tolerate fresh, brackish, and even tidal or nontidal water.

Online References:

Ludwigia leptocarpa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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