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

Epilobium minutum Lindl. ex Lehm.
small-flowered willowherb (chaparral willowherb)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Adolf Ceska  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #11254)

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Distribution of Epilobium minutum
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Species Information

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General:
Annual herb from a short taproot; stems 3-45 cm tall, usually freely branched, nearly glabrous to short stiff-hairy, peeling below.
Leaves:
Mostly opposite, narrowly elliptic to spoon-shaped, 5-20 mm long, nearly glabrous; short-stalked.
Flowers:
Inflorescence few-flowered, flowers short-stalked in axils of somewhat reduced, alternate leaves; hypanthium cup-shaped, scarcely 1 mm long; petals 2-5 mm long, white to rose, notched at tip; sepals 2-4 mm long; stigmas entire, occasionally slightly lobed.
Fruits:
Capsules, linear club-shaped, slightly curved, nearly glabrous, 1-2.5 cm long; seeds 0.8-1 mm long, netted, tuft of hairs pale yellowish.
Notes:
Similar to and often confused with E. foliosum.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Vernally moist rocky bluffs and wet areas and dry rocky slopes and gravelly banks in the lowland to lower montane zones; frequent in S and W BC; S to MT and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Epilobium minutum

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) 137 1282 2305
Slope Gradient (%) 0 33 420
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
20 200 326
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
0 3 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
127
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: AT(1), BG(4), BWBS(1), CDF(3), CMA(1), CWH(11), ESSF(37), ICH(14), IDF(19), IMA(1), MS(13), PP(5), SBS(3)

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.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References