Onagraceae
Epilobium

Epilobium hirsutum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 347 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. Eurasia to Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Onagraceae, P. H. Raven. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Robust herb, 0·2–2·5 m. tall, the subligneous stems sometimes persistent; rhizome stout, producing thick white underground runners with very scattered cataphylls; plants more or less white-pubescent, densely covered, especially in the inflorescence, with long spreading trichomes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–12 × 0·5–4 cm., mostly opposite, alternate above, oblong-lanceolate, densely hairy, acute, sessile, clasping at the base, coarsely toothed; rosette leaves longer and less hairy than later leaves; young leaves to 20 cm. long, more glabrous; petiole up to 5 cm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence with an admixture of glandular trichomes, erect in bud; flowers erect in bud.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Floral tube 2·5–3 mm. across, c. 1–1·5 mm. deep.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 6–10× 2–2·5 mm., apiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 6–16 × 6–15 mm., deeply notched, bright purplish-rose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Anthers 1·5–2 mm. long; the filaments of the longer 3·5–6 mm. long, of the shorter 2–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles 6–10 mm. long; stigma deeply 4-lobed, held above the anthers at anthesis, lobes 1·5–2·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules 3–8 mm. long, densely villous, on pedicels 2–12 mm. long; seeds 0·9–1·15 mm. long, dark brown or even coppery, oblong-obovoid, acute at the base, coarsely papillose, the coma 5–7 mm., dull white.
Cytology
Chromosome number n=18.
[FZ]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome thick, producing white fleshy soboles
Morphology Stem
Stems to 2.1 m tall, plant robust, branching, entirely covered with ± dense villous pubescence
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblong to lanceolate, 2–12 × 0.5–3.5 cm, serrate, sessile, clasping
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence with an admixture of glandular hairs, suberect before anthesis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers large, up to 2 cm; petals bright purplish-rose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma deeply 4-lobed, elevated above the anthers at anthesis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 4–10 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, obovoid, papillate, 1–1.5 mm.
Ecology
Usually by streams or springs and in other damp places; sometimes also in hedgerows, old fields etc.; up to alt. 1700 m (usually 700–1700 m)
Phenology
Flowering and fruiting: Jul.-Oct.
Distribution
Common throughout forest zone of Iraq, rare on the plains. Throughout Europe, N E and S Africa, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and throughout Central Asia and Himalaya to China and Japan; introduced in east North America.
Note
Epilobium hirsutum is a tall, large-flowered species which is variable in pubescence. Although white-pubescent individuals are common in many parts of its range, particularly in the Near East, this variation does not appear to be geographically correlated and does not, in my opinion, demand taxonomic recognition. Hairy Willow-Herb, Codlins and Cream (Eng.), Hairy Willow-weed (Am.).
[FIQ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164347/1044291

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Onagraceae, J. P. M. Brenan. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1953

Morphology General Habit
Rhizomatous, usually robust herb up to 2.1 m. high, indumentum ranging from pubescent and very sparsely villous to densely villous or tomentose; capitate glandular hairs present.
Morphology Stem
Stems without imbricate scale-leaves at base.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile, variable, oblong or lanceolate to elliptic or sometimes ovate-elliptic or obovate-oblong, about 3–10 cm. long and 0.5–2.5 (-3.7) cm. wide, acute, sharply serrulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bright pink to red-purple, rarely and only casually white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 7–10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals broadly obovate, 9.5–19 mm. long, 7–18 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 7–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma divided nearly or quite to base into four arcuate-recurved narrowly clavate obtuse arms 1.75–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules mostly 4–8.5 cm. long; pedicels 0.5–1.6 (–2) cm. long.
Distribution
Similar to that of var. villosissimum. E. hirsutum, in a wide sense, recorded as naturalized in Canada and the United States
[FTEA]

Uses

Use
A striking plant, by far the most common species in Iraq; suitable for cultivation in a “wild garden” near running water.
[FIQ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images