There are 3 native and 3 non-native Ludwigia taxa that are likely to be found in Mendocino County

Natives: L. palustris, repens, peploides ssp. peploids

Non-native L. hexapetala, grandiflora, peploides ssp. montevidensis 

In this article, we describe some characters that can help identify these species in the field. 

Field Identification Characters:

Leaf Position 

• alternate: L. hexapetala, grandiflora, peploides
• opposite: L.palustris, repens

Petal Length

•  >2.5cm (1 in): L. hexapetala, grandiflora
•  1.5-2.5cm (0.5-1 in): L. peploides
•  ~1 cm: L. repens
•  no petals: L. palustris 

Hairs on stem, sepals, leaves

• very hairy: L. hexapetala, grandiflora
• less hairy: L. peploides ssp. montevidensis
• glabrous: L. peploides ssp. peploides 

Branching from nodes

• emergent flowering shoots branching from nodes: L. hexapetala, grandiflora
• flowering only from tips, no branching: L. palustris, peploides, repens 

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Ludwigia hexapetala node	Ludwigia hexapetala branching	Ludwigia hexapetala flower
Oxygen-transporting roots