TUFTED LOOSESTRIFE
Lysimachia thyrsiflora
MYRSINE FAMILY (Myrsinaceae)
Identification
- Flowering time - May, June, July
- Uncommon in wet areas on FF floodplain at base of bluffs - not seen at NW
- Distinctive tufted yellow flower clusters that look like a "starburst fireworks" display
- Closely related Fringed Loosestrife (L. ciliata) has a more typical flower with 5 broad petals
This native perennial grows up to 2 feet tall. The lance-shaped leaves are opposite on the erect stem (C). Yellow, tufted flower heads up to an inch in diameter are at the end of stalks originating from the leaf axils at about the mid-portion of the stem (A,C). There are no flowers at the top of the plant. A closer look at the flower cluster shows it consists of several individual flowers, each with 5-7 narrow yellow petals and a similar number of projecting yellow stamens responsible for the tufted, “starburst” appearance (B).
Found in marshes and wet meadows, flowering from May through July. In Fontenelle Forest it is uncommon in very wet, marshy areas on the floodplain at the base of the upland bluffs like the ones in the photos taken from the boardwalk at the entrance to Handsome Hollow. It has not been seen at Neale Woods.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.