Ludwigia leptocarpa

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Description

Family Onagraceae

Annual or perennial herbs, or shrubs , rarely trees to 30 m tall, often with epidermal oil cells , usually with internal phloem . Leaves simple , spirally arranged , opposite, or occasionally whorled , entire or toothed to pinnatifid ; stipules present and usually caducous , or absent. Flowers perfect and hermaphroditic or occasionally unisexual , actinomorphic or zygomorphic, (2-) 4(-7) -merous, axillary , in leafy spikes or racemes or solitary, or occasionally in panicles, all but Ludwigia with distinct floral tube , nectariferous within. Sepals green or colored , valvate . Petals as many as sepals or rarely absent, variously colored, imbricate or convolute and occasionally clawed. Stamens as many as sepals in one series or 2 × as many as sepals in 2 series [in Lopezia Cavanilles reduced to 2 or 1 plus 1 sterile staminode]; anthers versatile or basifixed , dithecal , sometimes cross-partitioned, opening by longitudinal slits; pollen grains almost always united by viscin threads, shed as monads , tetrads , or polyads . Ovary inferior, with as many carpels and locules as sepals, septa sometimes thin or absent at maturity; placentation axile or parietal , ovules 1 to many per locule, in 1 or several rows or clustered, anatropous , bitegmic; style 1; stigma with as many lobes as sepals or clavate to globose . Fruit a loculicidal capsule or indehiscent nut or berry. Seeds small, smooth or variously sculptured , sometimes with a coma [or wing], with straight oily embryo, endosperm lacking.

Seventeen genera and ca. 650 species: widespread in temperate and subtropical areas, but best represented in W North America; six genera (two introduced ), 64 species (11 endemic, 11 introduced), and five natural hybrids (two endemic) in China.

Onagraceae are a well-defined, monophyletic family in the order Myrtales, with a sister relationship to Lythraceae. Within the order Myrtales, the Onagraceae are distinguished by a number of features including (1) a distinctive 4-nucleate embryo sac; (2) abundant raphides in vegetative cells ; (3) paracrystalline beaded pollen ektexine; and (4) pollen with viscin threads.

Some species of Oenothera are grown for the oil in their seeds, which contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA), used for medicinal purposes. Several species of Onagraceae also are cultivated in China for their horticultural value, including species of Fuchsia Linnaeus (generally distinguished by having large, tubular , red or orange flowers and fleshy berries ) and Clarkia Pursh (distinguished by having stigmas with commissural lobes with dry, unicellular papillae, and dry, elongate capsules similar to those of Epilobium but lacking comas on the seeds) . The most commonly cultivated Fuchsia is F. ×hybrida Hort. and the related F. magellanica Lamarck in F. sect. Quelusia (Vandelli) Candolle from South America; F. triphylla Linnaeus, in F. sect. Fuchsia, from Hispaniola, is known from only one gathering in Fujian. Similarly, Clarkia amoena (Lehmann) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride is widely cultivated in China, whereas C. pulchella Pursh is known from only one gathering in Xizang; both species are native to W North America. There are no naturalized species of either Clarkia or Fuchsia in China.[1]

Genus Ludwigia

Herbs slender, erect to prostrate and rooting at nodes, or shrubs or rarely small trees ; underwater parts often swollen and spongy or with inflated white spongy pneumatophores. Leaves alternate [or opposite], usually entire; stipules present, reduced and/or deciduous; bracteoles 2, at or near base of ovary, or absent. Flowers perfect , actinomorphic , in upper leaf axils or in spikes, racemes , or clusters ; floral tube not prolonged beyond ovary. Sepals (3 or) 4 or 5(-7), green, persistent after anthesis . Petals as many as sepals or absent, yellow or white, caducous . Stamens as many as or 2 × as many as sepals; anthers versatile or sometimes basifixed ; pollen shed singly or in tetrads or polyads . Ovary with as many locules as sepals, rarely more, apex flat or conic, often with a depressed nectary surrounding base of each epipetalous stamen; stigma capitate or hemispheric , entire or lobed , upper 1/2-2/3 receptive. Fruit an obovoid to cylindric capsule, dehiscent irregularly or by a terminal pore or by flaps separating from valvelike apex. Seeds numerous , in one to several rows per locule, free or embedded in powdery or woody endocarp, raphe small or conspicuous , sometimes equal in size to body of seed. 2n = 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, 128.

Eighty-two species: cosmopolitan , on all continents except Antarctica; nine species (one endemic) in China.

Ludwigia is distinctive within the family , and morphological, anatomical, and molecular evidence indicates that it is the sister group to the remainder of the family. Historically, plants of this affinity with stamen number equal to sepal number were Ludwigia, and those with stamens twice as many as sepals were Jussiaea, but Raven and others demonstrated reticulate variation in this character, and treated the two groups as a single genus. Polyploidy and autogamy are important evolutionary phenomena within the genus.[2]

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,624 meters (0 to 8,609 feet).[3]

Biology

Growth

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Jussiaea leptocarpa Nutt.
2. Ludwigia leptocarpa var. meyeriana (Kuntze) Alain

Notes

Publishing author : Nutt. Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

Members of the genus Ludwigia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 221 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

L. abyssinica · L. acuminata · L. adscendens · L. adscendens diffusa · L. adscendens subsp. diffusa · L. adscendens var. glabrescens · L. adscendens var. montevidensis · L. adscendens var. peploides · L. affinis · L. affinis var. dodecandra · L. africana · L. alata (Winged Primrose Willow) · L. albiflora · L. alternifolia (Bushy Waterprimrose Ludwigia Alternifolia) · L. alternifolia linearifolia · L. anastomosans · L. angustifolia · L. apetala · L. arcuata (Piedmont Primrose-Willow) · L. ascendens · L. aurantiaca · L. bertonii · L. bonariensis (Carolina Primrose-Willow) · L. brachycarpa · L. brachyphylla · L. bradfordensis · L. brenanii · L. brevipes (Long Beach Primrose-Willow) · L. bullata · L. burchellii · L. caparosa · L. capitata · L. capitata var. pubens · L. cardinalis · L. caryophyllea · L. cercodia · L. clavellina · L. clavellina var. grandiflora · L. clavellina var. peploides · L. cubensis · L. curtisii var. simpsonii · L. curtissii (Curtiss' Primrose-Willow) · L. curtissii var. simpsonii · L. decurrens (Wingleaf Primrose-Willow) · L. densiflora · L. didymosperma · L. diffusa · L. diffusa var. californica · L. dodecandra · L. elegans · L. epilobioides · L. erecta (Yerba De Jicotea) · L. erigata · L. filiformis · L. fluitans · L. foliobracteolata · L. foliosa · L. fruticulosa · L. glandulosa (Cylindricfruit Primrose-Willow) · L. glandulosa brachycarpa (Cylindricfruit Primrose-Willow) · L. glandulosa glandulosa (Cylindricfruit Primrose-Willow) · L. glandulosa subsp. brachycarpa (Cylindricfruit Primrose-Willow) · L. gracilis · L. grandiflora · L. grandiflora hexapetala · L. grandiflora subsp. hexapetala · L. greatrexii · L. hassleriana · L. hastata · L. haugi · L. helminthorrhiza · L. helminthorriza · L. heterophylla · L. hexapetala · L. hirsuta · L. hirta · L. hirtella (Hairy Ludwigia) · L. hondurensis · L. hookeri · L. humbertii · L. hyssopifolia (Seedbox) · L. hyssopifolia apud (Seedbox) · L. inclinata · L. inclinata var. verticillata · L. irrigata · L. irwinii · L. juncea · L. jusaepha · L. jussiaeoides · L. kentiana · L. lacustris (Lake Ludwigia) · L. lacustris f. aquatilis · L. lagunae · L. lagunae paraguayensis · L. lanceolata (Lanceleaf Primrose-Willow) · L. laruotteana · L. latifolia · L. leptocarpa (Angle-Stemmed Primrose-Willow) · L. leptocarpa foliosa · L. leptocarpa var. angustissima

More Info

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Further Reading

• Aquatic and wetland plants of southwestern United States, by Donovan S. Correll and Helen B. Correll. [Washington]Environmental Protection Agency; [For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.]1972. ENG url p. 1179, p. 1181.
• Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: The Museum, 1951-1992. ENG url p. 343.
• FWS/0BS. [Washington]Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. ENG url p. 226, p. 53.
• National list of scientific plant names. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1982- ENG url p. 225.
• Chen Chiajui, Lu Shangzhi & Li Yibin. 2000. Onagraceae. In: Chen Chiajui, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 53(2): 27-133.
• Chen Chiajui, Lu Shangzhi & Li Yibin. 2000. Onagraceae. In: Chen Chiajui, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 53(2): 27-133.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed March 24, 2007.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 29, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 21, 2007:

• Herbarium of the University of Aarhus, The AAU Herbarium Database
• Herbier de la Guyane, Herbier de la Guyane
• Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
• , Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• SysTax, Herbarium Universitat Ulm
• SysTax, Missouri Botanical Garden
• SysTax, SysTax
• SysTax, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
• University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2651280
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-27349
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13743233
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:613373-1
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 27349
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 613373-1
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDONA0B0B0
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: LULEM4
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 44151

Footnotes

1. Jiarui Chen, Peter C. Hoch, Peter H. Raven, David E. Boufford & Warren L. Wagner "Onagraceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 274, 290, 400. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Jiarui Chen, Peter C. Hoch & Peter H. Raven "Ludwigia". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 400, 401. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
3. Mean = 201.960 meters (662.598 feet), Standard Deviation = 376.400 based on 661 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

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