Family - Onagraceae

Stems - With various growth patterns from erect to repent, on land or floating, herbaceous, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, often reddish, from fibrous roots, to +50cm long.

Leaves - Alternate, petiolate, glabrous, oblong to elliptic, tapering to base, acute at apex, entire, to +/-12cm long (with petiole), +2cm broad.

Inflorescence - Single axillary flowers on long peduncles. Peduncles to +/-6cm in flower, elongating in fruit, glabrous or very sparse pilose pubescence, erect, with two sub-opposite bracts.

Bracts of the peduncle.

Flowers - Floral tube to 1.2cm in flower, 5-angled, tube subtended by two green scalelike bracts. Petals 5, free, yellow, 1.7cm long, 1.2cm broad, glabrous. Style 6-7mm long, glabrous. Stigma flattened, 3mm broad. Stamens 10. Filaments to 4.5mm long, glabrous, pale yellow. Anthers yellow, 2.1mm long. Ovary inferior, many seeded. Sepals 5, lanceolate, 1cm long, 3mm broad, acute, glabrous. Capsule (fruit) to -4cm long, +/-4mm in diameter, glabrous or with sparse pubescence. Seeds many.

Calyx.

Flowering - May - October.

Habitat - Shallow still water, muddy soil, pond margins.

Origin - Native to U.S.

Other info. - This species can be found scattered throughout much of MIssouri but is mostly absent in the northern 1/4 of the state and also in the central Ozark region. The petals of this plant, and most of the plants related to it, fall off very easily. In still areas the plant can be quite showy when in full flower. In windy or high traffic areas the flowers may hold their petals only a short time.
If the plant is rooted in wet soil it can creep over dry ground for a good distance. The stems are "spongy" internally and easily broken.
The most modern synonym for this species is Ludwigia peploides (H.B.K.) Raven. Jussiaea diffusa Forsk., and Ludwigia ascendens (L.) Hara are older synonyms.

Photographs taken off Hwy 65, Alabama, 6-20-04.