FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Stems are distinctly winged and 4-angled.
Synonym(s): Jussiaea decurrens
Description: Upright herbaceous plant, to 1 m, with large yellow flowers.
Leaves: Lanceolate leaves have no petiole, about 22 cm long and 3 cm wide. The base of each leaf has a wing that extends far down the stem, creating two distinct wings.
Flowers/Fruit: Large flowers about 2 cm across, usually with 4 petals but sometimes up to 7. Fruits are elongated, four-sided capsules. Flowers and fruits June through October.
Habit and Range: Grows in sunny wet places like marshes, pond margins, ditches, and openings in swamps. Found chiefly in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Uncommon to rare in the Mountains.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
The similar Ludwigia alternifolia (seedbox) does not have as strongly winged stems or elongated fruits.
Click here to view Ludwigia alternifolia.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
