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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Onagraceae
Epilobium hirtigerum

Citation: Cunn., Ann. Nat. Hist. 3:33 (1839). Hairy (or hoary)

Synonymy: E. junceum Forster f. ex Sprengel, Syst. Veg. 2:233 (1825) vat. hirtigerum (Cunn.)Hook. f., Fl. New Zel. 1:60 (1852); E. junceum sensu J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 639 (1952), partly, non Forster f. ex Sprengel (1825).

Common name: willow-herb.

Description:
Perennial herbs to 1.2 m high, branched mainly from an often rhizome-like base usually with adventitious roots from the nodes, usually tomentose at least on younger branches; leaves usually alternate, opposite only at the base, linear-lanceolate to linear-elliptic, 1.5-6.5 x 0.3-0.8 cm, acute, with a subcordate base, with large widely spaced serrations, more or less densely covered with spreading hairs.

Inflorescence erect, with single flowers in the axils of leaf-like bracts; pedicels 0-1 cm long, up to 1.5 cm when fruiting; floral tube to 1 mm long; sepals linear to linear-lanceolate, 3-5 mm long, densely covered with spreading hairs; petals oblanceolate, 3-7 mm long and often shorter than the sepals, with a terminal notch to 2 mm deep, white to rose-purple; stamens in 2 whorls of different length; style as long as or longer than the longer stamens, with a swollen club-shaped stigma.

Capsule 3.5-6 cm long; seeds densely covered with papillae.

Published illustration: Raven & T. Raven (1976) New Zealand D.S.I.R. Bull. 216:fig. 64.

Distribution:  Wet places or often waste places.

S.Aust.: FR, NL, MU, SL, SE.   Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas..   New Zealand; Java; temperate South America.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: mainly Nov. — March.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available


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