Ludwigia hexapetala

Uruguayan primrose-willow, Uruguayan Primrose-Willow

Family: Onagraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Uruguayan primrose-willow is a naturalized perennial herb found in coastal areas of northern and central California, including the Coast Ranges, Great Valley, and southern California coastal regions in lake margins and wetlands at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from May to December, this plant produces yellow flowers with distinctive 18 to 29 millimeter-long petals that bloom in delicate arrangements. Growing up to 2 meters tall with thick white spongy roots, it spreads through creeping and floating stems that can climb over other plants. Its alternate leaves are narrowly elliptic to widely obovate, measuring 3 to 11 centimeters long with mucronate tips and variable petiole lengths. The distinctive fruit is cylindrical, reflexed, and covered in spreading hairs, measuring 14 to 26 millimeters long.

Habitat: Lake margins, wetlands

Bloom period: May-Dec

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: NCo, s NCoRO, GV, CCo, SnFrB, SCo

California counties: Marin, Ventura, Santa Clara, San Diego, Sonoma, Mendocino, Alpine, Orange, Yolo, Glenn, Sutter, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Butte, Colusa, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.