Water Primrose Is Ludwigia Peploides Glabrescens

Spaniard Creek on the Arkansas River

During a see to Spaniard Creek Park  yesterday nosotros saw an aquatic institute that was attracting hundreds of autumn pollinators including bees, wasps, butterflies, in addition to skippers. The patches of flowers were covered in addition to abuzz to the holler for that nosotros all squatted downwards to watch.
It turns out that this source of insect pollen is none other than Creeping Water Primrose. The South American diversity is Ludwigia hexapelata and the USA native diversity is Lusdwigia peploides glabrescens.

South American Water Primrose is thence invasive inwards fact that inwards many states in that place are programs to eradicate it to preclude its clogging irrigation channels, rivers in addition to lakes. In add-on it is good known equally musquito breeding heaven. The native variety, L peploides is called aggressive rather than invasive.

Ludwigia peploides glabrescens

 Illinois Wildflowers says "This perennial institute is ¾–2½' long. It either floats on H2O or sprawls across the ground. The stems are lite light-green to carmine (often the latter), glabrous to sparsely pubescent, in addition to terete. Alternate leaves along these stems are 1¼–3" long in addition to ½–1" across; they are elliptic, oblong-elliptic, oblanceolate, or oblong-oblanceolate inwards shape in addition to smoothen along their margins. The leaves are commonly glossy light-green inwards appearance, although sometimes they prepare patches of carmine or yellow. ... The blooming menses occurs from belatedly jump to early on fall, lasting several months. The flowers are diurnal.
"The flowers are cross-pollinated primarily past times bees, including honeybees, digger bees (Eucerine), in addition to Halictid bees. Other visitors, such equally flies in addition to skippers, are less effective at cross-pollination. These insects obtain nectar and/or pollen from the flowers. Some insects feed destructively on Creeping Water Primrose. This includes the flea beetles, Altica litigata in addition to Lysathia ludoviciana, in addition to a leafhopper, Draeculacephala inscripta. The Mallard in addition to maybe other ducks feed on the seed capsules. Because of the large dense colonies that this institute oftentimes forms, it provides practiced encompass along shorelines for diverse insects, frogs, in addition to other wetland wildlife."

We saw several box in addition to snap turtles inwards in addition to alongside the Water Primrose at Spaniard Creek Park.

If you lot haven't visited Spaniard Creek Park, this is a gorgeous fourth dimension of twelvemonth to walk along the water's border equally the trees larn into their autumn phase in addition to drib acorns. There are really few campers immediately thence walkers accept enough of room to roam in addition to appreciate the beauty of Oklahoma fall.

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