Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
23. Primulaceae, the Primrose Family
2. Lysimachia L. -- Loosestrife3. Lysimachia quadriflora Sims
Slender erect perennial 2-8 dm tall, from slender rhizomes which commonly form lateral offshoots of basal rosettes. Leaves opposite, sometimes appearing whorled due to leaves fascicled in the axils; lower (and rosette) leaves, when persistent, petioled, with elliptic to obovate blades 2-3 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide; cauline leaves sessile, linear, 2-7(9) cm long, 1.5-6 mm wide, acute, revolute along the margin, cuneate and sometimes ciliate at the base. Flowers solitary in upper leaf axils on pedicels 1-4 cm long; calyx lobes lanceolate, 3.5-6 mm long; corolla lobes oval to obovate, 7-12 mm long, erose or entire, apiculate; anthers ca. 2 mm long; staminodes as in L. ciliata. Capsules 3-5 mm in diameter, containing many black angular seeds ca. 1.2 mm long. Jul--Aug. Wet meadows and pond margins, usually where sandy; occasional in sandhills of se ND, also Benson Co., ND; Brown and Marshall counties, SD; and Franklin Co., NE; (MA to s Man., s to GA, AL and NE). L. longifolia Pursh.
Previous Species -- Lysimachia hybrida Michx.
Return to Family -- Primulaceae - The Primrose Family
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