Lysimachia asperulifolia Poiret. Pocosin Loosestrife, ‘Roughleaf Loosestrife’. Phen: May-Jun; Aug-Oct. Hab: Low pocosins, high pocosins, streamhead pocosins, savanna-pocosin ecotones, sandhill-pocosin ecotones. Dist: Endemic to the Coastal Plain of NC and SC.

ID notes:L. asperulifolia is a very distinctive species, easily recognized vegetatively by its whorls (or opposite on smaller plants) of sessile, rounded-based, acuminate, bluish-green (to yellowish-green when shaded or otherwise stressed) leaves on an unbranched stem 0.5-1 m in height. Young or depauperate plants may produce only opposite leaves and no flowers. When stems are injured or subjected to herbivory, they produce branches below the damaged site.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: Franklin (2001) studied the biology of this rare species.

Other Comments: The leaves of L. asperulifolia are not rough; the common name ‘roughleaf loosestrife’ is a misnomer, based on a mistranslation of the specific epithet, the translator erroneously assuming that ‘asperulifolia’ meant ‘rough-leaved’. The epithet actually refers to the perceived similarity of the leaves to those of the European Asperula odorata (treated in this work as Galium odoratum), Sweet Woodruff, a plant with which Poiret would have been very familiar (the leaves of G. odoratum are similar to those of L. asperulifolia in their whorled disposition).

Synonymy: = FNA8, K1; = Lysimachia asperulaefolia – GW2, RAB, S, (orthographic variant)

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus

Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL

Heliophily: 7