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

Epilobium ciliatum subsp. watsonii Raf. (Barbey) Hoch & P.H. Raven
purple-leaved willowherb (fringed willowherb)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Epilobium ciliatum subsp. watsonii
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb, from basal rosettes or fleshy bulblets, lacking rhizomes; stems 15-150 cm tall, simple or branched, generally finely stiff-hairy in lines or spreading-hairy.
Leaves:
Opposite, or alternate above, lance- or lance egg-shaped, 1-15 cm long, finely sharp-toothed to almost entire, veins distinct; stalks 0-8 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal, leafy-bracted panicle or raceme, finely stiff-hairy, with some spreading and glandular hairs; hypanthium 0.5-2.6 mm long; petals 2-14 mm long, rose-purple to white, notched at tip; sepals 2-7.5 mm long, often reddish; stamens less than or equal to length of pistil; stigmas club- or head-shaped.
Fruits:
Capsules, 1.5-10 cm long, hairy; stalks 0-30 mm long; seeds 0.8-1.9 mm long, longitudinally grooved, tuft of hairs white, 2-8 mm long, readily detaching.
Notes:
Three subspecies occur in BC:

1. Stem leaves relatively narrow and not crowded around inflorescences; plants usually branched above; petals white to pale pink or purple.................. ssp. ciliatum

1. Stem leaves broad and often crowded around inflorescences; plants usually unbranched above; petals dark purple.

2. Underground scales or buds present; inflorescences loose, extended...................... ssp. glandulosum (Lehm.) Hoch & Raven

2. Underground scales or buds absent; inflorescences more or less flat-topped...................... ssp. watsonii (Barbey) Hoch & Raven

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Wet to mesic disturbed areas, roadsides, fields and ditches from the lowland to montane zones; common throughout BC (ssp. ciliatum) to infrequent (ssp. glandulosum), or rare (ssp. watsonii) on Vancouver Island and S BC; amphiberingian, N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to CA, TX and NC; E Asia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Epilobium ciliatum ssp. watsonii

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) 2 397 1260
Slope Gradient (%) 0 0 0
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
0
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 6 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
11
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: CWH(4), MS(1), SBS(6)

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 franciscanum Barbey
Epilobium watsonii Barbey
Epilobium watsonii var. franciscanum (Barbey) Jeps.
Epilobium watsonii var. watsonii

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References