Yellow Loosestrife

Lysimachia vulgaris appears to have a very limited distribution in Kashmir. According to R.R. Stewart (1972, p. 537) it is adventive in this region, being either cultivated or found as an escape.

Perennial up to 100 cm or more tall, erect, branches softly pubescent-glandular; indument brown, with long flexuose jointed hairs and shorter capitate ones. Leaves opposite (lower ones) or verticellate (2-3 per node), subsessile; petiole up to 4 mm long. Lamina 50-58 (-120) x 12-(28-) 32-40 mm, acuminate, elliptic-ovate or oblanceolate, upper surface of a darker colour, glabrate at length, sometimes glandular-punctate, margin entire. Flowers in compact terminal paniculateracemes. Bracts opposite, 5-6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glandular-pubescent, margin glandular streaked, the streaks red, darker at maturity. Pedicel exceeding the bracts, up to 8 mm long in fruit. Calyx shallow cupular, c. 4 mm long, 2/3 rd cleft, glandular and with longer and weaker eglandular hairs; lobes c. 3.8 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, margin glandular streaked, membranous and glandular-ciliolate. Corolla 10 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes imbricate, basally united, 7-9 x 4.5-5.5 mm, ovate-oblong, sessile, glandular-scurfy on the upper surface. Stamens included; filaments glandular, connate basally to form a glandular tube adnate to the corolla anthers basifixed. Ovary subglobose, apex glandular; style about equalling the stamens or exceeding it, persistent, up to 5 mm long in fruit, lower half glandulose; stigma obscure. Capsule equalling the calyx. Seeds trigonal, dull brownish-white.

Herbs perennial, 60--120 cm tall, with creeping rhizomes. Stems erect, terete or obtusely quadrangular, simple or paniculately branched, pubescent. Leaves opposite or whorled; petiole 2--10 mm; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 6--17 X 1--5 cm, abaxially glabrescent, sparsely red or black glandular punctate, abaxially pubescent, base obtuse to subrounded, margin entire or obscurely repand, apex acuminate; veins to more than 10 pairs; veinlets prominent. Panicles terminal and axillary; peduncle 1.5--4.5 cm; bracts linear-subulate, 2--8 mm. Pedicel 3--12 mm. Calyx lobes lanceolate, 3.5--6 X 1--1.5 mm, margin black glandular striate and glandular ciliate. Corolla bright yellow, 8--11 mm, 1.5--2 cm in diam., deeply parted; lobes elliptic, 7--10 X 3.5--6 mm, adaxially densely glandular. Filaments connate basally into a ca. 1.5 mm high ring, free parts ca. 2.5 mm; anthers linear, dorsifixed, opening by lateral slits, ca. 3 mm. Ovary ovoid, style 4--5 mm. Capsule subglobose, 3--4 mm in diam. Fl. Jul-Aug. 2n = 28, 42, 56, 70, 84 (85, 86).

Distribution: N. America, Europe, N.W. & S. Turkey, N.W. Africa, W. Iran, Iraq, Aral-Caspian and Lake Balkash area, Caucasus, W. & E. Siberia, Tien Shan, Sinkiang, Japan and Korea. Sparingly recorded from Kashmir.

W Xinjiang [Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia; NW Africa, SW Asia, Europe; North America].

Fl. Per.: June-July.

Ditches, marshes; 500--700 m.