Lythrum is a genus of 38 species of native plant to the temperate world. Commonly known as loosestrife (a name they share with Lysimachia, which are not closely related), they are among 32 genera of the family Lythraceae.
Description
They are
herbaceous plant annual plant or
perennial plant. Typically they have square stems, narrow stalkless leaves, and spikes of star-shaped flowers in shades of purple, pink and white. They are especially associated with boggy areas, river banks and ponds, though in cultivation they often tolerate drier conditions. The species
L. salicaria (purple loosestrife) and
L. virgatum are found in cultivation.
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Selected species
Species include:[ Lythrum L. USDA PLANTS.][Common name for L. junceum ][Common name for L. wilsonii ]
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Lythrum alatum Pursh – winged lythrum
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Lythrum anceps (Koehne) Makino – misohagi (Japan)
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Lythrum californicum Torr. & A.Gray – California loosestrife
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Lythrum curtissii Fernald – Curtiss' loosestrife
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Lythrum flagellare Shuttlw. ex Chapm. – Florida loosestrife
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Lythrum hyssopifolia L. – hyssop loosestrife, grass-poly
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Lythrum junceum Banks & Sol. – false grass-poly
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Lythrum lineare L. – wand lythrum
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Lythrum maritimum Kunth – pūkāmole (Peru, Hawaii)
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Lythrum ovalifolium Koehne – low loosestrife
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Lythrum paradoxum
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Lythrum portula (L.) D.A.Webb – spatulaleaf loosestrife, water purslane
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Lythrum salicaria L. – purple loosestrife
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Lythrum thymifolia L. – thymeleaf loosestrife
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Lythrum tribracteatum Salzm. ex Spreng. – threebract loosestrife
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Lythrum virgatum L. – European wand loosestrife
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Lythrum wilsonii Hewson – Wilson's loosestrife
Formerly placed here
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Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) J.F.Macbr. (as L. carthagenense Jacq.)
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Cuphea melanium (L.) R.Br. ex Steud. (as L. melanium L.)
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Cuphea parsonsia (L.) R.Br. ex Steud. (as L. parsonsia L.)
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Cuphea racemosa (as L. racemosum L.f.)
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Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. (as L. petiolatum L.)
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Pleurophora anomala (A. St.-Hil.) Koehne (as L. anomalum A.St.-Hil.)
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Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz (as L. fruticosum L.)
Morphology
Some species of Lythrum are heterostylous, such as the tristylous (occurring in three forms) L. salicaria.
Ecology
Lythrum species are used as food plants by the of some Lepidoptera species, including the Saturnia pavonia, the engrailed, the Hebrew character, and the V-pug.
As a noxious weed in the United States
The genus Lythrum is listed as a noxious weed in Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Fossil record
So far the oldest evidence of Lythrum is fossil pollen from the early Campanian, 82–81 Ma of Wyoming.[Graham, Shirley A. “Fossil Records in the Lythraceae.” Botanical Review, vol. 79, no. 1, 2013, pp. 48–145., www.jstor.org/stable/41809868. Accessed 20 Sept. 2020.]
