Square-stalked Willowherb - Epilobium tetragonum

Alternative names
Square-stemmed Willowherb
Description

Medium to tall plant with long strap shaped, toothed leaves. The pink flowers have four notched petals and a club shaped stigma. The stem is square, and the stem and inflorescences have no glandular hairs.  It perennates by loose leaf rosettes.

Similar Species

One of four similar species; E obscurum, E roseum and E ciliatum also have club-shaped stigma.   E roseum has many glandular hairs and longer petioles, and is on the VC55 Rare Plant Register.  E obscurum has few glandular hairs and perennates with leafy stolons. E ciliatum has numerous glandular hairs on the upper parts of the stem, sepals and parts of the fruits, and perennates with dense leafy basal rosettes.   Hybrids also occur.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Photograph the plant in its habitat, plus detailed photographs of flowers, stems and inflorescences

Habitat

Damp areas such as ditches, stream sides and woodland clearings.

When to see it

July and August.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Fairly frequent in lowland England and Wales north to Yorkshire.

VC55 Status

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi & Evans, 1988) it was found in 53 of the 617 tetrads.

In the VC55 checklist (Jeeves 2011) it is listed as Native; occasional

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Southern Willow-Herb, Square-stalked Willowherb, Square-Stemmed Willow-Herb
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Myrtales
Family:
Onagraceae
Records on NatureSpot:
19
First record:
22/08/2007 (Dave Wood)
Last record:
16/07/2020 (Calow, Graham)

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% of records within its species group

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