E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Epilobium luteum Pursh
yellow willowherb
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Province of British Columbia (Bill Jex)  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #3245)

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Distribution of Epilobium luteum
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from widespread rhizomes, sometimes with basal winter bulblets, stolons short and leafy or compact; stems erect, 15-75 cm tall, simple or branched above, glabrous or short stiff-hairy in lines.
Leaves:
Mostly opposite, spoon- to egg-shaped, 2.5-8 cm long, 1.2-3.5 cm wide, glandular-toothed, sharp-pointed, glabrous except for the (usually) minutely-hairy margins and midrib; stalks 1-3 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 2 to 10 flowers in upper leaf axils, nodding in bud, densely glandular and short stiff-hairy; hypanthium cup-shaped, 1.2-3 mm long; petals shallowly heart-shaped,12-22 mm long, yellow or cream, wavy-margined, notched at tip; sepals linear-lanceolate,10-12 mm long, densely glandular; anthers 2.2-3 mm long; ovaries 2-3.5 cm long, densely glandular; styles usually noticeably longer than petals; stigmas 4-lobed, the lobes 2 mm long, oblong egg-shaped.
Fruits:
Capsules, erect, linear, 4-8 cm long, glandular-hairy; stalks 10-22 mm long, glandular- and minutely-hairy; seeds 1-1.2 mm long, netted, tuft of hairs rust-colored, 6.5-8 mm long, persisting.
Notes:
Hybrids occur rarely between this species and others in BC. They resemble E. luteum with pink petals greater than 1 cm long. Hybrids between E. luteum and E. ciliatum ssp. glandulosum have been called E. x treleasianum Lev.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist streambanks, springs, seepage areas, meadows and forest openings in the montane and subalpine zones; infrequent in S and W BC, rare northward; N to AK, E to SW AB and S to CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Epilobium luteum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 747 1448 1950
Slope Gradient (%) 0 9 34
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
12 279 335
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 6 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
26
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: BAFA(1), ESSF(13), ICH(1), IDF(2), MH(4), MS(3), SWB(1)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Epilobium treleaseanum Levl. p.p.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References