''Ludwigia glandulosa'', the cylindricfruit primrose-willow, is an amphibious plant from

southeast United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

. It can grow partially or fully submerged. It grows very slowly and needs carbon dioxide in order to grow well. The leaves of this plant will turn greener if insufficient light is provided.

Distribution and conservation status

''Ludwigia glandulosa'' can be found in

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

areas and roadside ditches throughout most of the southern states in North America. It is a

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of '' critical depen ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

and

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. When including these wetland plant species, necessary protections may be restricted to the wetland and a buffer area. However, special precautions beyond the normal 100-foot buffer may be needed in order to protect the plants from invasive species and

human activities Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedality, bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex Human brain, brain. This has enabled the development of ad ...

. It is imperative that recommendations and guidance be done from the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. I ...

before disturbance occurs.

Habitat and ecology

''Ludwigia glandulosa'' is a plant that has a difficult time growing in most environments. As long as

phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phosph ...

s and nitrates are present in any amount, the plant will benefit from it tremendously. It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

that will grow up to a foot and three inches maximum. ''Ludwigia glandulosa'' needs warm temperatures and much light in order to survive. The study of the association between climate and the

regeneration Regeneration may refer to: Science and technology * Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs * Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis ...

of species can give substantial information about the effects of climate change for the future distribution of natural ecosystems. Studies have now been employed in order to find information on the regenerative response to some plants in agreement to how landscapes change the environment. Fourteen species of swamp plants were observed in order to see their patterns in

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

ed and non-flooded areas. Some species, including “Ludwigia glandulosa” did not

germinate Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fer ...

in flooded conditions.

Morphology

Individuals of this species are perennials that grow as herb/

forb A forb or phorb is an herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically these are dicots without woo ...

(s). They can grow up to a foot and six inches. With a lot of light, they will be red/purple in color. If insufficient light is present, they will fade to a green color. To check for another sign of poor growth, the lower leaves of the plant will start to shed off before the entire plant dies. ''Ludwigia glandulosa'' will grow to a maximum height of about 40 cm and requires the water to be a pH of about 6-7.5.

Usage

Four stems of this plant is sometimes bought for about three

American dollars The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from Dollar, other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American ...

and used in aquariums as a mid-ground/focal point plant or as a background plant. With sufficient light, the red/purple leaves will thrive and provide a very aesthetic setting in the aquarium. As stated before,

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...

would need to be added frequently to the aquarium in order for the plant to grow well.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16984861 glandulosa Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status