Ludwigia pilosa Walter

Hairy Seedbox; Hairy Primrose Willow

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Hairy Seedbox is a native herbaceous perennial in the Evening-Primrose family (Onagraceae). It can be found in the southern half of Alabama. Hairy Seedbox occurs in roadside ditches, in pine flatwoods, in bogs, and in savannas. When growing in standing water, the base is swollen and spongy with aerenchyma, a special tissue with air channels for gas exchange. It is a short-lived perennial with a taproot or rhizome. It often produces numerous stolons from the base. Stems are erect, branched, and densely pubescent. The leaves are alternate, petiolate (petioles often very short), elliptic to lanceolate in outline, with entire margins. The leaves are densely pubescent, and those of the branches are much reduced in size. Flowers are in leafy spikes or racemes. The individual flowers are solitary in the axils of reduced leaves. The flowers lack petals, but the four sepals are large and pale green in color with white, pink, or red tips. There is a large nectary disc that is bright yellow in color. The fruit is a globose capsule. Hairy Seedbox seed are consumed by waterfowl.—A. Diamond.

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Native OBL (NWPL)

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