Ludwigia virgata
| Ludwigia virgata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo was taken by Gil Nelson | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Onagraceae |
| Genus: | Ludwigia |
| Species: | L. virgata |
| Binomial name | |
| Ludwigia virgata Michx. | |
| |
| Natural range of Ludwigia virgata from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common name: Savannah seedbox[1]
Contents
Taxonomic notes
Synonyms: none.[1]
Varieties: none.[1]
Description
“Repent or erect, usually branched, short-lived perennials, or rarely annual. Floral parts in 4-7’s; hypanthium is not prolonged beyond the ovary. Capsules longitudinally or poricidally multiseriate, rarely uniseriate. Most of the erect species produce basal offshoots, which have ovate to obovate leaves, in the late summer and fall. Bracteoles occur in pairs on the pedicel or stipe or the base of the hypanthium.”[2]
"Stems erect, usually branched, usually glabrous below, to 1 m tall. Leaves alternate, lanceolate, or elliptic, usually glabrous, to 7.5 cm long and 1 cm wide; sessile. Sepals 4, reflexed, ovate, 5-10 mm long, 2.5-4.5 mm wide; petals 4, 10-16 mm long, 7-11 mm wide; styles 7-9 mm long, stylopodium prominent. Capsules cubical, 4-angled, usually narrowly winged, appressed pubescent to glabrous, 5-7 mm long, 3.5-5 mm broad; bracteoles linear, 2-4 mm long; pedicels to 15 mm long."[2]
Distribution
L. virgata ranges from southeast Virginia to south peninsular Florida, and west to Panhandle Florida and southeast Alabama.[1]
Ecology
Habitat
This species grows in moist areas along cypress swamps, pine flatwoods, hillside bogs, wet depressions in savannas, and around ephemeral ponds.[3] They thrive in moist sandy loam and can occur in open lit areas.[3] This species is also observed in human-disturbed habitats such as along roadsides.[3] L. virgata does not respond to soil disturbance by clearcutting and chopping in North Florida flatwoods forests.[4]
Associated species include Cypress, Pinus, Rhexia, and Pteridium.[3]
Phenology
L. virgata flowers from May through September with peak inflorescence in June and fruiting from June through August.[3][5]
Conservation, cultivation, and restoration
Cultural use
Photo Gallery
References and notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-atlantic states. Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 744-7. Print.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, M. Davis, Robert K. Godfrey, Richard D. Houk, Ed & Lisa Keppner, S. W. Leonard, R. A. Norris, Annie Schmidt, Roomie Wilson, and Jean W. Wooten. States and Counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Polk, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, and Walton. Georgia: Lowndes and Thomas.
- ↑ Moore, W.H., B.F. Swindel, and W.S. Terry. (1982). Vegetative Response to Clearcutting and Chopping in a North Florida Flatwoods Forest. Journal of Range Management 35(2):214-218.
- ↑ Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 12 DEC 2016
