FRINGED LOOSESTRIFE 



Lysimachia ciliata L. 



July l-.ike yellow primroses, in whose family they actually are. 



River woods the frinoed loosestrife flowers open in midsummer when 

 hot sun and dry wind might wither more delicate flowers. 

 But fringed loosestrife, in the river-bottom ^\'o■ods and along railroad 

 tracks where the ditches are damp, blossoms in July and seems well 

 able to survive the sinumer. 



The plant is tall, often three feet high or more, with pairs of oppo- 

 site, yellow-green, tapering leaves all along the branching stalk. Along 

 the upper half of the stem there are flower stalks and branches which 

 spring from the axils of the leaves, with slender, curving stems bearing 

 oval, tapering buds. These open as five-petaled, pale yellow flowers with 

 a pale red blotch at the base of each petal. There are five cursdng, stiff 

 stamens and the pistil, and five recurved, sliai'])-pointed sepals cupping 

 the flower. 



Although fringed loosestrife has a tall, lank jihint, the flowers never- 

 theless have some of the quality of spring blossoms. The upper part of 

 the plant is a spring-flowering plant: the lowci- half is more like a 

 summer weed. Perennials, they grow in the heavy rich ground of the 

 river bottoms where tlu^v l)l(v m abundantly durina' most of .Tulv. 



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