Bushy seedbox
Also known as: smooth seedbox, square-pod water-primrose, rattle-box
Ludwigia alternifolia L.
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, branched, angled above, nearly smooth to minutely hairy, often reddish.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, lanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long, usually less than 1/2 inch wide, pale below; margins entire; tips pointed; short-stalked or blade tapering to sessile base; upper leaves reduced in size.
- Inflorescence
- Solitary in upper leaf axils, few to many; stalks to 1/5 inch long.
- Flower
- Showy, about 3/4 inch across; sepals 4, egg-shaped to lance-ovate, 1/3 to 2/5 inch long, spreading, often reddish, tips pointed; petals 4, oblong-ovate, 1/3 to 2/5 inch long, yellow; stamens 4.
- Fruit
- Capsule, about 1/5 inch long and wide, 4-sided above, rounded below, glabrous or hairy; seeds tiny, egg-shaped, yellowish-brown.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Wet sites; edges of streams, lakes and marshes, moist prairie ravines, roadside ditches.
- Distribution
- East 1/2 of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
The petals drop easily, often lasting less than a day. When the capsule is shaken, the seeds rattle, which gives rise to the common name "rattle-box". Ludwigia is named in honor of Christian Gottlieb Ludwig, a German botanist in the late 18th Century.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Onagraceae - Evening Primrose Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 20-48 inches
- Last Updated
- 2008-02-10
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September