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| Photo
by Renee Brecht |
Britton and Brown. See
credits below. |
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| Botanical name: |
Decodon
verticillatus |
| Common
name: |
Swamp
loosestrife or water willow |
| Synonomy: |
Decodon verticillatus (L.)
Ell. var. laevigatus Torr. & Gray |
| Group: |
Dicot |
| Family: |
Lythraceae
(Loosestrife)
|
| Growth
Type: |
Shrub,
sub-shrub |
| Duration: |
Perennial,
but woody stems die back over winter. |
| Plant
height: |
2-8' |
| Flower
color: |
Pink. |
| Flower
size: |
1/2" |
| Description: |
Stems
are 3' to 9' long,
wand-like, arching downward, rooting into the ground where they they
touch the water or mud. The base of the stems, growing in water or wet
sphagnum, are often covered with a leathery or corky growth.
Leaves lanceolate, nearly sessile
(without a stalk),
and the bark of the submersed part of the stem is spongy-thickened. |
| Flowering/fruiting time |
Flowers
early August to early
September.
Fruits early September into October. |
| Habitat: |
Open shallow water,
lakes, ponds, marshes and bogs. A wetland obligate species. |
| Range in
New Jersey: |
throughout
the state |
| Heritage ranking if any: |
n/a |
| Other notes: |
Note that this is not the invasive
species, purple loosestrife (Lythrum
salicaria). |
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| Sources |
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