Samolus

Scientific name

Samolus L.

Common names

water pimpernel, brook weed, water rose

Family

Primulaceae

Similar genera

Alisma, Goodenia

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

Samolus valerandi L.

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

emergent emergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
or riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
rosette plant

Brief description

Annual or perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Stem typically compact. Leaves usually in a basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
rosette, alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
or short-petiolate, ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
to obovateobovate:
(adj) ovate, with the narrow end at the base
, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
; base attenuateattenuate:
(adj) narrowing gradually to a point
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a simple or branching racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
. Flowers pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
; sepals 5; petals 5, white, fused basally. Dispersal by seed or laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
shoots.

Natural habitat

shallow, still waters or wet ground in littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
zone of swamps, lakes, and rivers

Additional comments

Samolus consists of approximately 10 species worldwide. Samolus parviflorus Raf. and S. floribundus Kunth. are considered by some authors as synonyms of S. valerandi.