''Epilobium minutum'' is a species of

willowherb Willowherbs are annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the flowering plant family Onagraceae. Willowherb may refer to: * A species of willowherb in the genus ''Epilobium'' * A species of willowherb in the genus ''Chamaenerion ''Chamaenerion'' ...

known by the common names little willowherb, chaparral willowherb and desert willowherb. It is also called "smallflower willowherb" in reference to its small size relatively. However that name, in particular the

British English British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in ...

variant "small-flowered willowherb", typically refers to '' Epilobium parviflorum''. Epilobium minutum 0054

This annual wildflower is native to western North America from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. This is a plant of fields and meadows, including

vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

s, and it is one of the first flowers to spring up in areas recently cleared by

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

Description

''Epilobium minutum'' is a small, spindly plant with thin, branching stems approaching a maximum of in height. The sparse leaves are oval-shaped and long. The stems are topped with few tiny white to light purple flowers with notched petals each a few millimeters long. The fruit is a capsule in length. It is a much smaller plant than most members of the genus, referenced by both the specific name ''minutum'' as well as some of its common names.

References

External links

*
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Epilobium minutum''''Epilobium minutum'' - U.C. Photo gallery
minutum Flora of Western Canada Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of Arizona Flora of Nevada Flora of Oregon Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of California Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Myrtales-stub