European water-purslane (spatulaleaf loosestrife)
Lythraceae (Loosestrife family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a fibrous root, often rooting at the nodes; stems prostrate to decumbent, branching at the base, 4-angled, reddish, glabrous, 5-25 cm long.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, fleshy, oblong to more or less egg-shaped, widest towards the tip, abruptly narrowing to the stalk, 5-10 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of single, broadly bell-shaped, unstalked, axillary flowers; hypanthium broadly bell-shaped, 1-2 mm tall; petals usually 4 or lacking, white to rose, not showy, about 1 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, spherical; seeds round.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Moist riverbanks and disturbed areas in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Peplis portula L.
Taxonomic Keys
KEY TO LYTHRUM
1. Hypanthium bell-shaped to hemispheric, petals usually 4, not showy.................Lythrum portula
2. Plants annual, 10-40 cm tall; lower leaves usually alternate; petals 2-3.5 mm long, white to rose...........................Lythrum hyssopifolia Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia A fourth species of Lythrum is now recognized in BC: Lythrum alatum (winged loosestrife). This species is not included in the IFBC key, but is described by Hitchcock and Cronquist (1973) as: Main leaves 3-10 cm, not cordate; petals purple, ca 5 mm; plants 4-10 dm. View a photo. |