''Ludwigia octovalvis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Onagraceae

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

known by the common name Mexican primrose-willow. Its native distribution is unclear, but can be found in

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, South-East Asia, Tamilnadu (IND), the Middle East, the Central-

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

n regions and spreads easily to become naturalized. It is also cultivated as an

aquatic plant Aquatic plants, also referred to as hydrophytes, are vascular plants and Non-vascular plant, non-vascular plants that have adapted to live in aquatic ecosystem, aquatic environments (marine ecosystem, saltwater or freshwater ecosystem, freshwater ...

. The plant is known for its anti-aging properties. The species is sometimes regarded as an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

and is classified by IUCN as of "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

" with stable populations. An adult plant is one meter tall on average but is able to grow taller. It spreads to form mats on the mud, rooting at nodes in contact with the substrate, or floats ascending in the water. Its flowers are yellow in appearance. They are made up of green and red stems. They yield small capsular fruits containing many minute seeds.

Gallery

File:Ludwigia octovalvis 11.JPG File:Starr 070413-6937 Ludwigia octovalvis.jpg File:Ludwigia octovalvis, loof, Krantzkloof NR.jpg File: Ludwigia octovalvis (Onagraceae) - Flower.jpg File:Ludwigia octovalvis (Onagraceae) - Flower and leaves.jpg

References

External links

Australian Tropical Rainforess Plants: Ludwigia octovalvisDiscover Nature: Ludwigia octovalvis
* octovalvis {{Myrtales-stub