Ludwigia palustris

Marsh Purslane at Tharwa, ACT

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Identification history

	Ludwigia palustris	10 Mar 2017	MichaelMulvaney
	Unidentified	19 Feb 2017	MichaelBedingfield

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Significant sighting

MichaelMulvaney noted:

10 Mar 2017

Marsh Purslane has been recorded in the Brindabella area of NSW but this is the first ACT record. It is a popular aquarium plant and a record of invasiveness elsewhere (but not dramatically so). One we will probably want to control if still having a restricted ACT distribution.

User's notes

Sparsely scattered along the Murrumbidgee River, growing close to the water, in Gigerline Nature Reserve.

8 comments

BettyDonWood wrote:

19 Feb 2017

No idea. How tall is it?

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

19 Feb 2017

It is a prostrate herb, forming a dense mat in the same way as Persicaria prostrata, up to about 10cm at most high. Having seen it here I have found it is relatively common along the river.

BettyDonWood wrote:

20 Feb 2017

I think you should take a specimen in to the botanic gardens for ID. I have had a quick look in Plantnet at Molluginaceae, Rubiaceae, and Caryophyllaceae, and I don't think it is any of those. I cannot see ant stipules, so I don't think it is Polygonaceae either.

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

20 Feb 2017

Thanks Betty, I'll collect a specimen for ANBG.

RussellB wrote:

23 Feb 2017

This will be a Ludwigia species (Onagraceae), either L. palustris (fruit 2-5 mm long) or L. repens (fruit 5-7 mm long). From the tumb in the photo, I am guessing the first, L. palustris. Both a re naturalised species known from NSW.

BettyDonWood wrote:

23 Feb 2017

I had not thought of Ludwigia. I don't think either species has been recorded for the ACT. If not, all the more reason to get a specimen to the Botanic Gardens. Ludwigia palustris does not have petals, so if you find any flowers with petals it will be repens, extremely unlikey because it looks as if the nearest it occurs to the ACT is Lane Cove in Sydney.

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

23 Feb 2017

Thanks, will do

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

22 Mar 2017

Michael Mulvaney's ID of Ludwigia palustris has been confirmed by David Albrecht, Plant Identification and Liaison Officer at Australian National Herbarium.

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