''Lysimachia'' × ''commixta'' is a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the primrose family

Primulaceae The Primulaceae ( ), commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden pla ...

. It is native to eastern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, from eastern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

across the

Great Lakes region The Great Lakes region of Northern America is a binational Canadian– American region centered on the Great Lakes that includes the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and the Ca ...

west to

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. The hybrid

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''commixta'' means "mixed together, mixed up", which presumably refers to the genetic mixing of two species. Indeed, the hybrid is sometimes referred to as the mixed loosestrife or the commingling loosestrife.

Description

The parents of ''Lysimachia'' × ''commixta'' are '' L. terrestris'' and '' L. thyrsiflora''. The hybrid has a terminal

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

subtended by similar lateral racemes. Vigorous individuals have additional

axillary Axillary means "related to the axilla (armpit)" or "related to the leaf axils". "Axillary" may refer to: Biology * Axillary artery * Axillary border * Axillary fascia * Axillary feathers * Axillary hairs * Axillary lines * Axillary lymph nodes ...

racemes up to long. Although it shows a floral

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

approaching ''L. thyrsiflora'', the hybrid is often confused with ''L. terrestris'', which also has a terminal raceme. The length of the terminal raceme, the length of its pedicel, and the length of the filaments may be used to distinguish ''L. terrestris'' from ''L.'' × ''commixta''.

Taxonomy

''Lysimachia'' × ''commixta'' was first collected (as ''L. terrestris'') by H. Eggert in 1878 in St. Clair County, Illinois. It was described by

Merritt Lyndon Fernald Merritt Lyndon Fernald (October 5, 1873 – September 22, 1950) was an American botanist. He was a respected scholar of the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. During his ...

in 1950 based on an earlier report by Fernald and Karl McKay Wiegand published in 1910. However, Fernald did not provide a Latin description of the hybrid and so technically the name is invalid.

Distribution

The distribution of ''Lysimachia'' × ''commixta'' coincides with that of its parents. The hybrid ranges from eastern

, across

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and the

, extending as far west as

. ''Lysimachia'' × ''commixta'' is local in distribution. The parents may or may not be found in the vicinity of hybrid populations. For example, the populations in St. Clair County, Illinois, discovered by Eggert in 1878, appear to be extra-parental in range. The hybrid's expansion into southern Illinois is thought to be a result of vegetative propagation along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

lowlands.

References

External links

* * * * commixta Plants described in 1950 Taxa named by Merritt Lyndon Fernald Plant nothospecies {{Primulaceae-stub