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DESCRIPTION:
Two species of willowherbs are common weeds in California.
Northern or fringed willowherb,
E. ciliatum (pictured here) is a native perennial willowherb
1 to 3.5 feet (30 - 105 cm) tall with few branches near the base
but many near the tip. The plant grows in wet, marshy areas and
infests
irrigated crops. Its smooth, finely toothed leaves are 1.25 to
2.5
inches (3.1 to 6.3 cm) long, elliptical to lance-shaped, pointed
at the tip, and rounded at the base into short, winged stalks.
Upper
leaves are smaller and somewhat hairy. The pink or white flowers
are borne in clusters on slender side branches with short, glandular
hairs. The brown to reddish fruit is a slender capsule up to 0.25
to 2.5 inches (6 - 62 mm) long that split open and peel back
to
expose oval seeds with short beaks and tufts of hairs at the upper
end. Seedling cotyledons are dark reddish-green to dark green
and
one and a half times as long as broad with rounded tips. A similar
species, panicle-leaf willowherb, E. brachycarpum, is a
native annual willowherb found in dry areas.
Broadleaf ID illustration.
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