Epilobium sp.

A Willow Herb at Michelago, NSW

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Identification history

Epilobium sp.	3 Dec 2018	BettyDonWood
Epilobium sp.	3 Dec 2018	BettyDonWood
Unidentified	3 Dec 2018	Illilanga

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User's notes

Private property. No public access without permission. Growing along the edge of our large wetland. ID of the plant please so I can add it to the related moth sighting: https://canberra.naturemapr.org/Community/Sighting/3876255

4 comments

BettyDonWood wrote:

3 Dec 2018

No idea. Wait till it flowers?

KenT wrote:

3 Dec 2018

My guess is that this is a species of Epilobium, based on: habitat, teeth on leaf, attachment of leaf to stem, and that plants in this genus are one of the food plants for Phalaenoides moths. But as Betty says to take it to species you will need it in flower and may even need seeds, see the PlantNET key: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Epilobium

BettyDonWood wrote:

4 Dec 2018

Thanks Ken. I had a vague idea it might be Epilobium.

Illilanga wrote:

4 Dec 2018

Thanks so much for your help. I've updated the sighting with two more photos showing emerging flowers. I suspect it is Epilobium ciliatum based on the flower, red stems and long stalks. Happy to collect some seed later down the track. If it is an exotic I am reluctant to remove as it is clearly supporting our local native insects/birds. It doesn't seem to be too weedy and naturalised in this location. How would it spread? Thoughts?

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