Decodon verticillatus
Encyclopedia
Decodon verticillatus, the sole species in the genus Decodon, is a flowering plant in the Lythraceae
family. It is commonly known as waterwillow or swamp loosestrife. It is endemic to wetland
s in the eastern half of the United States.
that grows in swamps or shallow water. The stems are arching, angular, smooth and woody near the base, and up to eight feet tall. They sometimes root at the tip when they bough over and touch the mud. The leaves are lanceolate
, either in opposite pairs or in whorls of three or four. They are up to five inches long and one inch wide, smooth above and hairy beneath, on very short stalks. The rose-pink flowers grow in axillary clusters. The calyx
is cup shaped, the corolla under an inch wide with usually five petals narrowing at the base. The ten stamens are projecting with five longer than the rest. There is one pistil, one style and a superior ovary. The fruit is a spherical dark brown capsule
with numerous reddish seeds. Flowering takes place in June and July.
Lythraceae
Lythraceae are a family of flowering plants. It includes about 620 species of mostly herbs, with some shrubs and trees, in 31 genera. Major genera include Cuphea , Lagerstroemia , Nesaea , Rotala , and Lythrum...
family. It is commonly known as waterwillow or swamp loosestrife. It is endemic to wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s in the eastern half of the United States.
Description
Waterwillow is a clump-forming shrubby perennialPerennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
that grows in swamps or shallow water. The stems are arching, angular, smooth and woody near the base, and up to eight feet tall. They sometimes root at the tip when they bough over and touch the mud. The leaves are lanceolate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
, either in opposite pairs or in whorls of three or four. They are up to five inches long and one inch wide, smooth above and hairy beneath, on very short stalks. The rose-pink flowers grow in axillary clusters. The calyx
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
is cup shaped, the corolla under an inch wide with usually five petals narrowing at the base. The ten stamens are projecting with five longer than the rest. There is one pistil, one style and a superior ovary. The fruit is a spherical dark brown capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
with numerous reddish seeds. Flowering takes place in June and July.
Habitat
Waterwillow is found in swampland, in ditches, besides streams and in shallow water at the edges of ponds and lakes. It often forms thickets and occurs in the United States from Maine to Florida and west to Minnesota, Tennessee and Louisiana.Associated species
- The larva of the hydrangea sphinx, Darapsa versicolorDarapsa versicolorThe Hydrangea sphinx is a member of the Sphingidae family that inhabits eastern North America, often in wetlands.Their wingspans can reach 58 to 80 mm, their forewings are green-brown with curved white patches...
, feeds on waterwillow. - The larva of the waterwillow stem borer moth, Papaipema sulphurataPapaipema sulphurataThe Water-willow Stem Borer is a moth of the Noctuidae family. Its larvae tunnel into the stems of the water-willow plant and it is found in the parts of the eastern United States where this plant grows....
, feeds on waterwillow.