Onagraceae
Ludwigia

Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P.H.Raven

First published in Kew Bull. 15: 476 (1961 publ. 1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropics & Subtropics. It is a semiaquatic subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine, has social uses and for food.

Descriptions

Onagraceae, P. H. Raven. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Robust well-branched herb, sometimes woody at the base or even shrubby, up to 4 m. tall, subglabrous, puberulent, or densely villous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 0·7–14·5 × 0·1–4 cm., linear to subovate, narrowly or broadly cuneate at base, the apex attenuate; main veins 11–20 on each side of the midrib; petioles up to 10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles reduced or up to 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4, 3–15 × 1–7·5 mm., ovate or lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 3–17 × 2–17 mm., broadly obovate or cuneate, emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8, the epipetalous ones shorter; filaments 1–4 mm. long; anthers 0·5–4 mm. long, extrorse but soon crumbling and shedding pollen directly on the stigma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen
Pollen shed in tetrads.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk slightly raised, with a white-hairy sunken nectary surrounding the base of each epipetalous stamen.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 1·5–3·5 mm. long; stigma 1·2–3 mm. across, subglobose, shallowly 4-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 17–45 × 2–8 mm., thin-walled, terete, pale brown with 8 darker ribs, readily and irregularly loculicidal; pedicel up to 10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 0·6–0·75 × 0·5–0·7 mm., pluriseriate in each locule of the capsule, free, brown, rounded, including the raphe which is equal in size to the body of the seed and evenly transversely ridged.
Cytology
Chromosome number n=16 (in F.Z. area).
[FZ]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Erect herb often subwoody at base, up to 1 m tall or more, almost glabrous to more or less villous-pubescent, the branches angled
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually lanceolate to oblong or lance- ovate, 3–11 cm long, up to 2.5 cm broad, narrowed at both ends
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers petiolate, with showy yellow petals up to 2 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2.5–3.5 mm in diameter; seeds about 0.6 mm long.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Pantropical, frequently
Ecology
A weed of low moist ground.
[Cayman]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
clavito, clavo de laguna
[UNAL]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/169056/67786872

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1900 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Subarbusto, acuática
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1900 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Caquetá, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés, Vichada.
Habit
Subshrub, Aquatic.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC. National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0