Family - Primulaceae

Stems - To +80cm tall, herbaceous, erect, 4-angled, glabrous or with glandular pubescence at upper nodes, multiple from base, simple to branching above, rhizomatous.

Leaves - Opposite, petiolate, decussate. Petioles slightly winged by decurrent leaf tissue, to +3cm long. Wings -1mm broad, ciliate-margined. Blade ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, rounded to cuneate at base, to +11cm long, +4cm broad, glabrous, minutely serrulate on margins.

Arrows shows cilia of petiole.

Inflorescence - Axillary pedunculate flowers, from upper leaf axils. Peduncles to +4cm long, glandular-puberulent. Flowers nodding.

Flowers - Corolla yellow, deeply 5-lobed, glandular externally, slightly orange to reddish at base. Corolla tube to +1mm long. Lobes to 1.3cm long, 1cm broad, glandular internally (dense near base), apiculate, erose. Staminodes present, 1mm long, alternating with stamens, lance-attenuate. Stamens 5, erect, adnate at base of corolla tube. Filaments to 2.5mm long, yellow, glandular. Anthers yellowish, 2.5-3mm long. Ovary superior, green, globose, 1.5mm in diameter. Placentation free central. Style 5mm long, glabrous, green. Calyx tube to 2mm long, glabrous, 5-lobed. Lobes spreading, 6-7mm long, 2mm broad, linear-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, entire, glabrous. Capsule globose (sub-globose), glabrous, +5mm in diameter, many seeded, dehiscing by 5 valves, brownish.

Calyx.

Again.

Flower.

Again.

Flowering - May - July.

Habitat - Moist low woods, wet prairies, streambanks, pond margins.

Origin - Native to U.S.

Other info. - L. ciliata is easy to identify in the field because of its ciliate petioles and its nodding yellow flowers. The plant is common throughout the state of Missouri. It is easily grown from seed and would make a good garden subject in a shady moist location.

Photographs taken in Brown Summit, NC., 6-10-02, and at Pultite Spring, Shannon County, MO., 6-27-04.