EPILOBIUM LANCEOLATUM

Family and Genus:- See- ONAGRACEAE/Sect. EPILOBIUM

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Epilobium montanum var. lanceolatum, Epilobium

montanum proles lanceolatum, Epilobium montanum subsp. lanceolatum.

Meaning:- Epilobium (L) A name used by Gesner the Swiss physician and

naturalist. to indicate the position of the corolla above the ovary.

Lanceolatum (L) Narrowed and tapered at both ends, lance-shaped.

General description:- Rhizomatous perennial without stolons. Over wintering by

rosettes.

Stem:-

1) 20-60 cm tall, erect.simple or sparingly branched, terete, appressed crispate-

puberulent

Leaves:-

1) Middle, opposite, usually shorter than the intemodes, short-petiolate (petiole 3-7

m), lanceolate to narrowly elliptical, serrate except at the cuneate base,

glabrous or pubemlent on the veins beneath, often with axillary shoots of smaller

leaves.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, lax.

2) Petals, 5-9 mm, white at first, tuming pink.

3) Stigma, 4-lobed.

Fruit:-

1) Puberulent.

2) Seeds, c. 1 mm, obovoid.

Key features:-

1) Stems, appressed-pubescent or subglabrous

2) Leaves, mostly petiolate. narrowly cuneate at the base.

3) Petiole, 3-10 mm.

4) Petals, white, later pink.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Damp hillslopes in open woodland, margins of forest roads, meadows,

gorges, (0-)300-1700 m.

Distribution:- Throughout mainland Greece and Peloponnisos, one record from

Kefalonia. - W, C & S Europe, through Anatolia to Cyprus, Caucasia and N Iran.

Rare on Crete, currently known from only 3 locations.

Flowering time:- Mid-May to early September.

Photos by:- A. N. Other