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LYTHRACEAE

LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY

Elizabeth McClintock

Annual, perennial herb, shrubs, trees
Stem angled or cylindric
Leaves simple, entire, generally opposite, sometimes alternate or whorled
Inflorescence: raceme, spike, or panicle, terminal, or axillary clusters with 1–several flowers
Flower bisexual, generally radial; hypanthium cylindric to bell-shaped, generally membranous, persistent in fruit; sepals 4–6, generally persistent, appendages 3–5 or 0, alternate sepals; petals, stamens inserted on inner hypanthium; petals 4–6 or 0, alternate sepals, deciduous; stamens generally = or 2 X petals, included or exserted; ovary superior, chambers 2–6, style generally slender, stigma head-like
Fruit: capsule, opening by valves from top, splitting sometimes irregular or 0
Seeds 3–many
Genera in family: ± 25 genera, 450 species: temp, tropical, generally in wet habitats. Some ornamental or cultivated for medicine, dyes
Reference: [Graham 1964 J Arnold Arbor 45:235–250]

LYTHRUM

Annual, perennial herb
Stem prostrate to erect, sometimes 4-angled
Leaves opposite, alternate, or whorled, linear to ovate, sessile or short-petioled
Inflorescence: raceme- or spike-like; flowers generally 1–2 per axil; bracts 2 per node
Flower radial to slightly bilateral, sometimes of 2–3 forms (heterostyly); hypanthium cylindric to bell-shaped; sepals 4–6, appendages < to > sepals; petals 4–6 or 0; stamens 4–6 or 12, included or exserted; styles < to > stamens
Fruit generally cylindric, generally dehiscent by 2 valves
Seeds many, < 1 mm
Species in genus: ± 35 species: temp
Etymology: (Greek: blood, from flower color)
Reference: [Stuckey 1980 Bartonia 47:3–20]

Introduced

L. tribracteatum Spreng.

Annual, not heterostylous
Stem 5–30 cm, erect, often branching at base; branches ± weakly ascending, glabrous to thinly scabrous
Leaves: lower opposite; upper alternate, 3–25 mm, generally oblong to oblanceolate
Inflorescence: cluster, axillary; bracts leaf-like; flowers ± sessile
Flower: hypanthium 5–6 mm, narrowly cylindric; sepals and appendages ± 0.5 mm, deltate, red-glandular; petals < 3 mm, lavender; stamens 4–6, included; style included
Fruit cylindric, ± = hypanthium
Ecology: Wet areas, drying ponds, ditches
Elevation: < 1500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, n Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: native to s Europe

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