''Epilobium parviflorum'', commonly known as the hoary willowherb or smallflower hairy willowherb, is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

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 wide ...

plant of the family Onagraceae.

Etymology

The genus name derives from the Greek words "epi" meaning "upon" and "lobos" meaning "lobe", with reference to position of the petals above the ovary. The specific Latin name of "parviflorum" means "small flowers".

Description

The biological form of ''Epilobium parviflorum'' is hemicryptophyte

scapose This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

,Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. II, pag. 155 as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves. ''Epilobium parviflorum'' reaches on average in height. The stem is erect and densely covered with hairs, especially in the lower part. The leaves are opposite, unstalked but not amplexicaul, lanceolate and toothed, rounded at the base, long. The tiny flowers are pale pink or pale purple, in diameter, with four petals, eight stamens and a 4-lobed stigma. Flowering occurs from June to August in the Northern Hemisphere. The hermaphroditic flowers are either self-fertilized ( autogamy) or pollinated by insects (

entomogamy Entomophily or insect pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen of plants, especially but not only of flowering plants, is distributed by insects. Flowers pollinated by insects typically advertising in biology, advertise themselves wi ...

).Pfaf.org
/ref> Fruit is a three-to seven-centimeter long capsule containing very small black seeds (about 1 mm long), with white fibres that allow the dispersal by wind. This species is quite similar to '' Epilobium hirsutum'', but the flowers are much smaller.Flora of Northern Ireland
/ref>

Distribution

This plant occurs in most of Europe, including Britain, from Sweden to Northern Africa and Western Asia up to Kashmir, in United States and Canada.Plants.usda
/ref> Schede di Botanica
/ref>

Habitat

It prefers marshes and swamps, moist mountain meadows and slopes, at an average altitude of above sea level, with a maximum of .

Medicinal uses

Extracts of this plant have been used by traditional medicine in disorders of the prostate gland, bladder and kidney, having an antioxidant and antiinflammatory effect . ''Epilobium parviflorum'' herb has been prescribed internally as tea in the traditional Austrian medicine for treatment of disorders of the prostate, kidneys, and urinary tract. Extracts of Epilobium have been shown to inhibit proliferation of human prostate cells in-vitro by affecting progression of the

cell cycle The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that take place in a cell that cause it to divide into two daughter cells. These events include the duplication of its DNA (DNA replication) and some of its organelles, and subs ...

References

West Highland Flora

* Tutin, T.G. et al. - Flora Europaea, second edition - 1993

External links

Biolib
{{Taxonbar, from=Q159094 parviflorum Plants described in 1771 Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber Flora of Malta