Is this Rosebay Willowherb?

[Kepis]

Apologies for the poor pictures, they were taken on my mobile, loads of this plant around our car park at work.

 

[Ranger Bob]

Its certainly some kind of willowherb, but I can't really get a sense of scale from your pictures. How tall is the plant and what are the dimentions of the leaves?

 

[Kepis]

Plant is approx 3ft in height, leaves are velvety to touch and covered in very small "furry" hairs, have attached picture with scale below

 

[Ranger Bob]

The leaves on rosebay willowherb are hairless and have slightly toothed edges, I think what you have hear is Great Willowherb (Epilobium Hirsutum).

 

[Kepis]

Has great willowherb got any uses?

 

[Ranger Bob]

Looking back at the picture(just taking not of the scale!) if the edges appear wavy, it could well be Rosebay willowherb. Just looking them up, Great WH has toothed edges too, more so than rosebay. I'm beginning to think thats what it is.
All willoeherbs are much alike so any use rosebay has, I guess applies to all the others.

 

[Ranger Bob]

hairs still confuse me though!

 

[Kepis]

the edges seem to be almost straight, just the odd small and i mean small "tooth", i have tried to take a picture with my mobile, not very clear, but it might suffice.

 

[Ranger Bob]

Hmmmmm. The toothing is very much like Great Wh, but the leaves don't seem wide enough......could be Hoary willowherb(Epilobium parviflorum) , similar to Great, but smaller. This would fit with the small toothing and hairs. Although if it is, it on the larger end of the scale for Hoary WH.

 

[Roving Rich]

Certainly looks like ut to me
Do the seed pods have nice fluffy tinder in them ?

Cheers
Rich

 

[Kepis]

not found any seed heads as yet, will let you know when i do

 

[familne]

If there are any in flower, have a look at the stigma and see if it's 4-lobed (like a cross) or club shaped, that should narrow it down a bit.

 

[Fallow Way]

Its really really hard to tell from those pics but they seem to show signs of it being Rosebay Willowherb (epilobium angustifolium), although am I not correct (cue for shouts of "NO!") that it is Greater Willowherb (epilobium hirsutum) that branches at it seems to in the picture, as rosebay is only ever a single stem? Also, rosebay is the only one of the willowherbs with unequal petals. THe top two are larger than the bottom two. I`ve heard some say the bottom two are smaller thatn the top two, but they are not to be trusted and locked away.

 

[Ranger Bob]

Its really really hard to tell from those pics but they seem to show signs of it being Rosebay Willowherb (epilobium angustifolium), although am I not correct (cue for shouts of "NO!") that it is Greater Willowherb (epilobium hirsutum) that branches at it seems to in the picture, as rosebay is only ever a single stem? Also, rosebay is the only one of the willowherbs with unequal petals. THe top two are larger than the bottom two. I`ve heard some say the bottom two are smaller thatn the top two, but they are not to be trusted and locked away.

I think your correct on both point the upper petals are indeed, broader than the lower two.

Does anyone know if willowherbs can hybridize?

 

[Kepis]

I will see if i can get some decent pictures tomorrow with my digi rather than with my phone, will put the pics up tomorrow evening as i can't download from the camera in the office.

 

[Beakytzw]

http://www.magdalin.com/herbal/plants_pages/w-z/willowherb_hairy.htm

 

[Fallow Way]

wow that is a lovely site.

 

[Kepis]

Thats the one - bullseye

Thanks Beakytzw

 

[familne]

Does anyone know if willowherbs can hybridize?

Oh yes - there are many hybrids!

Its really really hard to tell from those pics but they seem to show signs of it being Rosebay Willowherb (epilobium angustifolium), although am I not correct (cue for shouts of "NO!") that it is Greater Willowherb (epilobium hirsutum) that branches at it seems to in the picture, as rosebay is only ever a single stem? .

Yeah, you are right, rosebay has a single stem with spirally arranged leaves so could be great willowherb, hoary willowherb etc.

 

[Jumbalaya]

If the original plant pictured had a spike of flowers - the individual flowers of which flower from the bottom upwards - then that plant was almost certainly RBW. RBW leaves are arranged spirally round the stem, as opposed to being set in opposite pairs [common in many other willowherbs].

Both montanum and hirsutum have hairy leaves to varying degrees, hirsutum particularly so. Hirsutum flowers are quite large [app. 1/2 inch or so across] but those of montanum smaller and paler.

As for edibility, hirsutum is not a recommended edible, there being cases of convulsions afterwards. Tried some cooked myself, but found the texture made them difficult to swallow; neither were they very palatable. Young, cooked RBW leaves, on the other hand, make a very good vegetable green, though the cooking water should be discarded.