 |
Willowherb
Willowherb
Willowherb, common name for a genus of mainly herbs belonging to the evening primrose family. There are about 200 species distributed throughout temperate regions and reaching the Arctic. They are annuals or perennials with alternate, opposite, or whorled leaves. The flower has a long, slender tube (the hypanthium) containing the ovary, four bilobed petals, eight stamens in two whorls of four, and a prominent, club-shaped or four-lobed style. The petals may be purple, pink, or white and the flower tube is usually also coloured. The fruit is a slender capsule which splits by means of four valves, releasing the numerous tiny seeds. These have a plume of white, silky hairs, which allows them to be carried long distances by the wind, providing an effective method of dispersal. The great willowherb, or codlins and cream, is a tall perennial up to 1.5 m (4 ft) high, commonly found along streams, in marshes and other wet places.
Broad-leaved willowherb is a smaller species with reddish stems and drooping flower buds and is a common garden weed. The rosebay willowherb, or fireweed, has long, dense spikes of showy flowers and is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental. Willowherb has spread considerably through Britain, especially during and after World War II, apparently aided by an increase in disturbed habitats, such as bomb-sites, where it flourishes.
|