Family:
Lythraceae J.St.-Hil.

Lythrum L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Temp. Northern Hemisphere to Subtropical America.

[FTEA]

Lythraceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit
Perennial or annual herbs, rarely subshrubby
Morphology Leaves
Leaves decussate, verticillate or alternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 4–6(–8)-merous, regular or obscurely irregular, often di- or trimorphic, axillary, solitary or in cymes, sometimes congested into raceme-like “terminal” inflorescences
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular or ± campanulate, the sinus-appendages obvious or ± obsolete
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals mostly conspicuous, rarely lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens (1–)4–12, inserted near base of tube, some or all exserted, the ventrals and dorsals often inserted at different heights
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary ± sessile, oblong or ovoid, incompletely bilocular; ovules numerous; style usually well developed, rarely almost lacking; stigma capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2-valved; valves sometimes ± bilobed, membranous to ± coriaceous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 8 to numerous.

[FIQ]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Herbs, annual or perennial rarely shrubby; young branches 4-angled
Morphology Leaves
Leaves, opposite and decussate, verticillate or alternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in axils, or in cymes or terminal spikes, 6-merous, [mono-, di-, or] trimorphic in relation of filament to style length.  Calyx tube (hypanthium) elongate, 6–12 angled or -veined; sepals 4–6; epicalyx present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4–6 (or absent)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–12 (12 or fewer in Iraq plants), in 2 whorls of different lengths, inserted near the base of the tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary oblong, ± 2-locular; ovules many
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2-valved, fusiform, included
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 8–many, elongate.
Distribution
About 35 species, cosmopolitan in distribution; four species found in Iraq.
Note
Lythrum (from the Gr.  λύϑρον, luthron, loosening or atonement).

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Herbs, rarely ± shrubby
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sometimes whorled or alternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, in cymes or solitary, sometimes congested into raceme-like terminal inflorescences, 4–6(–8)-merous, occasionally obscurely zygo­morphic, often heterostylous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium campanulate or cylindrical; sinus-horns present or not
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usually large, rarely absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens (1–)4–12
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary incompletely 2-celled, ovules numerous, style usually well developed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2-valved, often 2-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 8–many, small.
Distribution
A subcosmopolitan genus of about 40 species.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil South, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, California, Canary Is., Central European Rus, Chad, Chile Central, Chile North, China North-Central, China South-Central, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Florida, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Hungary, Illinois, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Juan Fernández Is., Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Kuril Is., Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Louisiana, Madeira, Maine, Malawi, Manchuria, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Nebraska, Netherlands, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Territory, Northwest European R, Norway, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pakistan, Palestine, Pennsylvania, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Qinghai, Queensland, Rhode I., Romania, Rwanda, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sicilia, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, South Australia, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Tennessee, Texas, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vermont, Victoria, Virginia, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Western Australia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaïre

Introduced into:

Alberta, Argentina South, British Columbia, Cape Provinces, Chile South, Idaho, Manitoba, New Brunswick, New Zealand North, Newfoundland, Norfolk Is., Nova Scotia, Oregon, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan, Washington

Lythrum L. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Sp. Pl.: 446 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1968). Flora Europaea 2: 1-469. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Flora of Iraq

  • Koehne in Engl., Pflanzenr. 1V. 216 (1903)
  • Linnaeus, Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 205 (1754);
  • Linnaeus, Sp. Pl.: 446 (1753);

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by M. G. Gilbert & M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 205 (1754)
  • Koehne in E.P. IV. 216: 58 (1903)
  • Sp. Pl.: 446 (1753)

  • Flora of Iraq

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0