Back

Ludwigia sedioides (Humb. & Bonpl.) H.Hara

Family Name:	Onagraceae
Common Name:	Mosaic Plant, False Loosestrife

Full Sun

Semi Shade

Lots of Water

Ornamental Flowers

Ornamental Leaves

Aquatic

Herbaceous Plant

Ludwigia sedoides, flower in full bloom with ant

Ludwigia sedoides, leaf rosette and unopened flower

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Aquatic & Hydrophyte (Floating Aquatic), Herbaceous Plant
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Compact
Maximum Height	0.2 m
Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width	0.3 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Brazil, Venezuela
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Riverine)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Description and Ethnobotany

Others - Plant Morphology	Aquatic herbaceous shrub. Found in standing pools of water with leaves floating on surface, or growing in very swampy wet soils. Stems reddish, brittle. Leaves diamond-shaped with toothed margins, radiate outwards to form mosaic-like rosettes. Edges of central and older leaves turn bright red when plant is grown under bright light. Leaf rosettes are fully extended during daytime with gaps in between leaves. At night, the rosettes contract such that the leaves overlap one another.Flowers bright yellow, cup-shaped, solitary, produced in leaf axils from Jun to Aug in native habitats. Fruits are explosive capsules.Suitable for ponds or containers with 30-60cm depth. Plant needs to be rooted in substrate below water surface. Avoid mixing with fish, as brittle stems make plant susceptible to being torn apart by fish.Genus epithet 'Ludwigia' is named after German botanist and professor of medicine, Christian Gottlieb Ludwig (1709-1773). Ludwig corresponded with Carl Linnaeus (father of modern botanical taxonomy) about plant classifications, and Linnaeus dedicated the genus 'Ludwigia' in honor of Ludwig. Species epithet 'sedoides' means 'resembling sedum', a reference to the leaves which resemble those of certain Sedum species in terms of appearance and colour changes under strong light.

Others - Plant Morphology

Aquatic herbaceous shrub. Found in standing pools of water with leaves floating on surface, or growing in very swampy wet soils. Stems reddish, brittle. Leaves diamond-shaped with toothed margins, radiate outwards to form mosaic-like rosettes. Edges of central and older leaves turn bright red when plant is grown under bright light. Leaf rosettes are fully extended during daytime with gaps in between leaves. At night, the rosettes contract such that the leaves overlap one another.Flowers bright yellow, cup-shaped, solitary, produced in leaf axils from Jun to Aug in native habitats. Fruits are explosive capsules.Suitable for ponds or containers with 30-60cm depth. Plant needs to be rooted in substrate below water surface. Avoid mixing with fish, as brittle stems make plant susceptible to being torn apart by fish.Genus epithet 'Ludwigia' is named after German botanist and professor of medicine, Christian Gottlieb Ludwig (1709-1773). Ludwig corresponded with Carl Linnaeus (father of modern botanical taxonomy) about plant classifications, and Linnaeus dedicated the genus 'Ludwigia' in honor of Ludwig. Species epithet 'sedoides' means 'resembling sedum', a reference to the leaves which resemble those of certain Sedum species in terms of appearance and colour changes under strong light.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Foliage
Landscape Uses	Riverine, Container Planting, Aquarium / Aquascape, Pond / Lake / River
Thematic Landscaping	Water Garden

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Seed or Spore Dispersal	Abiotic (Water, Explosive Dehiscence)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Semi-Shade, Full Sun
Water Preference	Lots of Water
Plant Growth Rate	Fast

Rootzone Tolerance	Waterlogged Soils, Easy to Grow
Propagation Method	Seed, Stem Cutting, Division
Maintenance Requirements Remarks	Do not grow in water bodies with fishes in it. Brittle stems easily broken up by fishes.
Planting Distance	0

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Smooth, Glossy / Shiny

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Opposite
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Serrate / Toothed
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acute
Foliar Base	Cuneate
Typical Foliar Area	Microphyll ( 2.25cm2 - 20.25 cm2 )

Non - Foliar and Storage

Stem Type & Modification	Herbaceous, Hollow
Root Type	Underground (Fibrous Root)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Yellow / Golden
Flower Symmetry	Radial

Ovule Placentation	Axile
Ovary Position	Inferior / Epipgynous
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Capsule

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	909
Species ID	2203
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.