The RHS have mentioned the Rosebay willowherb to be a weed which is therefore a good reason for me to write about this plant in my wonderful weed blog as well as some others in the same family!
It is in the Willowherb family or Onagraceae which is number 73 in Stace. This post is about all the 7 genera and its species occurring in the British Isles.
Please Note: This is an educational blog only and I can’t be responsible for self medication!
I use colour coding for easy reading! Blue background is general interesting info (although I hope you find it all interesting!!). Green is about all the uses except for medicinal uses or if there is a warning in which case I use a pink background. Pictures by Matt Summers and Wikipedia. For good pictures also look in Gallery of Plant Online Atlas link (on Scientific name, in Wikipedia Commons and INaturalist often also the Common name link)
Contents:
The Onagraceae or Willowherb family and its 7 genera:
- Epilobium
- Chamerion
- Ludwigia
- Oenothera
- Clarkia
- Fuchsia
- Circaea
1. Epilobium spp. or Willowherbs (15 spp.):
- Epilobium alsinifolium or Chickweed Willowherb
- E. anagallidifolium or Alpine Willowherb
- E. brachycarpum or Panicled Willowherb
- E. brunnescens or New Zealand Willowherb FBBC
- E. ciliatum or American Willowherb FBBC
- – E. × novae-civitatis (E. ciliatum × hirsutum) FBBC
- – E. × interjectum (E. ciliatum × montanum) FBBC
- – E. × vicinum (E. ciliatum × obscurum) FBBC
- E. hirsutum or Great Willowherb FBBC
- E. komarovianum or Bronzy Willowherb
- E. montanum or Broad-leaved Willowherb FBBC
- – E. × aggregatum (E. montanum × obscurum)
- – E. × interjectum (E. ciliatum × montanum)
- – E. × limosum (E. montanum × parviflorum)
- E. obscurum or Short-fruited Willowherb FBBC
- – E. × dacicum (E. obscurum × parviflorum)
- E. palustre or Marsh Willowherb FBBC
- E. parviflorum or Hoary Willowherb FBBC + 2 hybrids with E. montanum and E. obscurum and
- – E. × floridulum (E. parviflorum × ciliatum) FBBC
- E. pedunculare or Rockery Willowherb
- E. roseum or Pale Willowherb FBBC
- E. tetragonum or Square-stalked Willowherb FBBC
2. Chamaenerion angustifolium/ Epilobium angustifolium FBBC
3. Ludwigia palustris or Hampshire-purslane
- Ludwigia grandiflora or Water-primrose (neophyte)
4. Oenothera spp. (Neophytes)
- O. biennis or Common Evening-primrose FBBC
- O. glazioviana or Large-flowered Evening-primrose FBBC
- O. × fallax (O. biennis × glazioviana) or Intermediate Evening-primrose FBBC
- O. cambrica or Small-flowered Evening-primrose FBBC
- O. stricta or Fragrant Evening-primrose FBBC and 2 hybrids in FBBC:
- O. x britannica (O. cambrica x glazioviana) FBBC
- O. biennis x O. cambrica
5. Clarkia amoena or Godetia FBBC
- Clarkia unguiculata or Clarkia FBBC
6. Fuchsia spp.
- F. magellanica or Fuchsia FBBC
- F. ‘Corallina’ (= Fuchsia cordifolia × globosa) or Large-flowered Fuchsia FBBC
7. Circaea lutetiana or Enchanter’s-nightshade FBBC
- C. alpina or Alpine Enchanter’s-nightshade
- C. x intermedia or Upland Enchanter’s-nightshade
Find out more about this interesting plant family on the next page: