Ludwigia grandiflora, the water primrose, is an aquatic plant of the order Myrtales.[2]

Ludwigia grandiflora
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Ludwigia
Species:
L. grandiflora
Binomial name
Ludwigia grandiflora
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Adenola grandiflora (Michx.) Raf.
    • Jussiaea grandiflora Michx.
    • Jussiaea grandiflora f. natans Glück
    • Jussiaea grandiflora f. semiserrata Glück
    • Jussiaea grandiflora f. terrestris Glück
    • Jussiaea michauxiana Fernald
    • Jussiaea repens subsp. grandiflora (Michx.) P.Fourn.
    • Jussiaea repens var. grandiflora (Michx.) Micheli
    • Jussiaea repens var. grandiflora Micheli
    • Jussiaea repens var. hispida Hauman
    • Jussiaea repens f. intermedia Hassl.
    • Jussiaea repens var. major Hassl.
    • Jussiaea repens var. uruguayensis Hassl.
    • Jussiaea uruguayensis Cambess.
    • Jussiaea uruguayensis var. genuina Munz
    • Jussiaea uruguayensis f. major (Hassl.) Munz
    • Ludwigia clavellina var. grandiflora (Michx.) M.Gómez
    • Ludwigia uruguayensis (Cambess.) H.Hara
    • Ludwigia uruguayensis var. major (Hassl.) Munz

It is closely related and easily confused with Ludwigia hexapetala.[3] The two species can be distinguished at a chromosomal level, because L. grandiflora is hexaploid and L. hexapetala is decaploid.[4] However, they can be distinguished morphologically. L. grandiflora has villous hairs, smaller flowers and smaller pollen grains.[4] Some authorities consider that these differences are too slight to consider these different species and so separate these taxa as two varieties or two subspecies.[5][6]

Invasive species

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Ludwigia grandiflora has been listed on the List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern since 2016[7] and in the United States it is on the South Carolina State-listed Noxious Weed list.[8] It out-competes other plants by forming dense mats at the margins and in ponds.[9] It is introduced to warm temperate areas of North America, Japan and Europe and has formed large stable populations, particularly in France.[10] As of summer 2024, the Portuegese city of Arganil announces measures against the species in its river Alva.[11]

 
Ludwigia grandiflora found in the Lower Hillsborough River Wilderness Preserve in Florida.

Life history

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Ludwigia grandiflora can, and does, produce viable seed, but it is also highly effective at vegetative reproduction and apparently recruitment of new plants from seed is low.[12] The large showy flowers attract a wide variety of insects. A study in Belgium, where L. grandiflora is introduced, showed that the flowers are visited by a wide variety of insects including bees, Lepidoptera, beetles and hoverflies.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Ludwigia grandiflora (Michx.) Greuter & Burdet". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  2. ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". The Plant List. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  3. ^ Jacono, Colette. "Identification of common aquatic water-primrose species, Ludwigia, in Florida" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  4. ^ a b Zardini, Elsa M.; Gu, Hongya; Raven, Peter H. (1991). "On the separation of two species within the Ludwigia uruguayensis complex (Onagraceae)". Systematic Botany. 16 (2): 242. doi:10.2307/2419276. JSTOR 2419276.
  5. ^ Ward, Daniel Bertram (2012). "New combinations in the Florida Flora III". Phytologia. 94 (3): 459–485. Archived from the original on 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2020-01-28 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  6. ^ Nesom, Guy; Kartesz, John (2000). "Observations on the Ludwigia uruguayensis complex (Onagraceae) in the United States". Castanea. 65 (2): 123–125. JSTOR 4034110.
  7. ^ "List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern - Environment - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  8. ^ "South Carolina State Noxious Weeds List | USDA PLANTS". plants.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  9. ^ "Ludwigia grandiflora - Bugwoodwiki". wiki.bugwood.org. Archived from the original on 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  10. ^ Dandelot, Sophie; Verlaque, Régine; Dutartre, Alain; Cazaubon, Arlette (2005). "Ecological, dynamic and taxonomic problems due to Ludwigia (Onagraceae) in France". Hydrobiologia. 551 (1): 131–136. doi:10.1007/s10750-005-4455-0. S2CID 46339363.
  11. ^ https://correiodabeiraserra.sapo.pt/arganil-esta-a-proceder-ao-combate-das-especies-invasoras-no-rio-alva/
  12. ^ Okada, Miki; Grewell, Brenda J.; Jasieniuk, Marie (2009-10-01). "Clonal spread of invasive Ludwigia hexapetala and L. grandiflora in freshwater wetlands of California". Aquatic Botany. 91 (3): 123–129. Bibcode:2009AqBot..91..123O. doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2009.03.006.
  13. ^ Stiers, Iris; Triest, Ludwig (2017-10-01). "Low interspecific pollen transfer between invasive aquatic Ludwigia grandiflora and native co-flowering plants". Biological Invasions. 19 (10): 2913–2925. Bibcode:2017BiInv..19.2913S. doi:10.1007/s10530-017-1494-1. S2CID 7022310. Archived from the original on 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2020-02-03.