| Etymology | Genus | After Christian Gottlieb Ludwig, 18th century professor of natural history and medicine |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Having leaves resembling Hyssop | |
| Family | Onagraceae | |
| Synonyms | Fissendocarpa linifolia (Vahl) Bennet, Jussiaea hyssopifolia G.Don, Jussiaea weddellii Micheli | |
| Common Names | Water Primrose, Narrow-Leaved Malayan Willow-Herb | |
| Status | Undetermined | |
| Form | Herb | |
| Native Distribution | Africa, China, Tropical Asia, Australia, Mexico, Southern America | |
Diagnostics:
Ludwigia hyssopifolia is a herb that is usually found in waterlogged areas like within drains. The lance-shape leaves are glossy with prominent secondary veins. The yellow flowers are 4-petaled with pointed ends. It can be differentiated from another relative, Ludwigia octovalvis with the latter's petals having rounded ends, with longer and narrower leaf blades.
Interesting Facts:
Extracts of the Water Primrose was found to have anti-tumour, antibacterial and anti-diarrhoeal properties (Banibrata, 2007; Mohammad et al., 2003). The plant is said to be dispersed by flowing water through its buoyant seeds (CABI, n.d.).
A Water Primrose growing at a monsoon drain.
Leaf.
Flowers.
Flower close-up.
References
Banibrata Das, Juthika Kundu, Bachar SC, Uddin MA & Kundu JK (2007) Antitumor and antibacterial activity of ethylacetate extract of Ludwigia hyssopifolia Linn and its active principle piperine. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 20(2):128-131.
CABI (n.d.). Ludwigia hyssopifolia (water primrose). Invasive Species Compendium, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. https://www.cabi.org/ISC. Accessed on 27-Nov-2018.
Mohammad Shaphiullah, Bachar SC, Kundu JK, Farida Begum, Uddin MA, Roy SC & Khan MTH (2003) Antidiarrheal activity of the methanol extract of Ludwigia hyssopifolia Linn. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16(1): 7-11.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2018-11-28