Family |
Lythraceae
Lythrum junceum
Banks & Sol.
Lythrum junceum Banks & Sol.
First published in A.Russell, Nat. Hist. Aleppo, ed. 2. 2: 253 (1794).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 561, Pl. CCXLIII, 2; 1970)
• Life-form & habit: Hairless perennial herb, 20–80 cm tall, with erect stems or stems prostrate at the base.
• Leaves: Alternate; lower leaves elliptic or oblong, often slightly heart-shaped at the base, upper leaves linear-lanceolate.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Solitary axillary flowers with two minute, narrow bracts. Calyx with 10–12 ribs and about as many upright, nearly equal teeth. Six oblong-obovate petals are about twice as long as the calyx; 10–12 stamens project conspicuously.
• Phenology: Flowering April–June.
• Habitat & elevation: Springs and other very wet places.
• Lebanese distribution: Beirut, Saida, Jell ed Dib, Tripoli, Bikfaya, below Beit Meri, Ghazir, Abey, Mayrouba, Harajel, Bcharre, Bcharre–Cedars, Ehden, Akkar mountains, Hasroun, Ban, Chaara of Baalbeck and Wadi Qadisha.
• Syrian distribution: South of Safita, Bhamra, Manjillah, Wadi Qandil, Qastal Maaf, Tartous, Nahr Sene, Mzerib, north of Qneitra, Mazraa, south of Soueida, Outaya and Barada.
• Native range: Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Sinai, South Australia, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Victoria.
• Introduced into: Belgium, Brazil South, California, Czechia-Slovakia, Germany, Great Britain.