Lythrum virgatum L.
Purple loosestrife, European wand loosestrife
European wand loosestrife is not native to North America, but is becoming established in North America as a garden escape. Although marketed as sterile plants, hence not dangerous like its extremely invasive relative purple loosestrife, it crosses easily with the invasive and may actually propagate its spread.
Plants: 1½–4′ (50–120 cm), with nearly hairless stems. They are less branched.
Leaves: Opposite, lanceolate or narrowly linear, ¾–4 ⨉ ⅛–¾″ (2–10 cm ⨉ 5–20 mm), attached directly to the stem (“sessile“). Leaf groups are well separated on the stems. Leaf bases usually narrow gradually. Leaves become bright red in the fall.
Flowers: Flower racemes are at proximal nodes, in spikes with flowers in loose, sometimes whorled, clusters. Each flower is rose purple, with six narrowly spatulate petals and 12 stamens.
Fruits: Narrow urn-shaped capsules are 1/16–⅛″ (3–4 mm) around, containing large numbers of tiny seeds.
Habitats: Formerly glaciated wetlands, ditches, beaver ponds, marshes, and disturbed wet areas.
Online References:
References:
7/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
7/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 9″ (23 × 22 cm) ID is uncertain 
7/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (6.3 × 9.4 cm) ID is uncertain 
7/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3 × 4″ (7.9 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain 
7/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Myrtales | Includes myrtles, leadwoods, loosestrifes, pomegranates, evening primroses, many others |
| Family | Lythraceae | Loosestrife family, also Includes henna, pomegranates, crape myrtles, others |
| Genus | Lythrum | From Greek lythron, “blood,” for its use as a styptic (blood-clotting agent) |
| Species | virgatum | wand-like, twiggy in growth, referring to the tall, bare stems |
Lythrum virgatum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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