Lythrum hyssopifolium L.   Lythraceae (Loosestrife Family)   Europe   Grass Poly

                                          June Photo

Plant Characteristics: Simple or branched, pale green, glabrous annual or perennial, the stems 1-5 dm. long, sometimes rooting at nodes; lvs. linear to oblong, 6-15 mm. long, sessile, obtuse; fls. solitary and sessile, whitish to pale purple, the petals 6, 1.5-2 mm. long; stamens 6, included; fl.-tube cylindric, 12 ribbed, ca. 4 mm. long in fr.; seeds pale straw colored, obliquely ovoid, scarcely 1 mm. long, almost as wide, with two somewhat flattened faces with a light line terminating in a small but conspicuous scar.

Habitat:  Moist places below 5000 ft.; cismontane Calif.; to Wash., Atlantic Coast; Europe.  April-Oct.

Name:  Greek, lytron, a name used by Dioscorides for L. salicaria.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 561).  Hyssopifo-lius, hyssop-leaved.  (Bailey 16).  Hyssop, A bushy, medicinal herb (Hyssopus officinalis) of the mint family, about 2 feet high, with small clusters of blue flowers.  (Funk & Wagnalls, New Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language, 1978. 623).  Hyssopus officinalis, lvs. linear to oblong, 1.5-2 in. long, sessile or nearly so, acute at both ends or the lower obtuse at the apex.  (Bailey 860).

General:  Occasional, at least in 1990, along Back Bay Dr. in the wet area at the northerly end of Eastbluff.  Not found prior to 1990 however.  The wet area was graded either in the fall of 1989 or early 1990, and with the cat-tails removed more light was allowed into the area, probably letting long dormant seeds germinate.  Also found at the vernal pond at the edge of the Castaway's bluffs.  (my comments).    Robbins et al., 312 says the plant is erect.  The plants I observed were all decumbent with short, erect sub-branches from the main stems.  (my comment).     About 30 spp., widely distributed.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 561).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 746; Mason 597; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 561; Robbins et al. 312; Roberts 28.

Photo Ref:  June 90 # 16A, 17A..

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

First Found:  June 1990.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 402

Have plant specimen.  

Last edit 12.26/04.

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