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Lysimachia × commixta is a hybrid of flowering plants in the primrose family Primulaceae.[1] It is native to eastern North America, from eastern Canada across the Great Lakes region west to Minnesota.[2] The hybrid specific epithet commixta means "mixed together, mixed up",[3] which presumably refers to the genetic mixing of two species. Indeed, the hybrid is sometimes referred to as the mixed loosestrife or the commingling loosestrife.[4][5]
| Lysimachia × commixta | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Primulaceae |
| Genus: | Lysimachia |
| Species: | L. × commixta |
| Binomial name | |
| Lysimachia × commixta | |
The parents of Lysimachia × commixta are L. terrestris and L. thyrsiflora. The hybrid has a terminal raceme subtended by similar lateral racemes. Vigorous individuals have additional axillary racemes up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. Although it shows a floral morphology approaching L. thyrsiflora, the hybrid is often confused with L. terrestris, which also has a terminal raceme. The length of the terminal raceme, the length of its pedicel, and the length of the filaments may be used to distinguish L. terrestris from L. × commixta.
| L. terrestris[6] | Lysimachia × commixta[2] | L. thyrsiflora[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite or subopposite (rarely alternate); 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long and 0.5 to 2 cm (0.2 to 0.8 in) wide | Alternate or subopposite; 5 to 12 cm (2.0 to 4.7 in) long and 1.3 to 4 cm (0.5 to 1.6 in) wide | Opposite to subopposite or whorled; 5 to 16 cm (2.0 to 6.3 in) long and 0.5 to 6 cm (0.2 to 2.4 in) wide |
| Inflorescence | Terminal raceme, 10 to 30 cm (3.9 to 11.8 in) long | Terminal raceme and (usually) one or more axillary racemes, up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long | Axillary racemes, 1 to 3 cm (0.4 to 1.2 in) long |
| Pedicels | From 5 to 16 mm (0.2 to 0.6 in) long | From 3 to 6 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long | From 1 to 4 mm (0.0 to 0.2 in) long |
| Flowers | 5-merous | (4-)5(-9)-merous | 5-7(-9)-merous |
| Perianth | Petals yellow, with dark streaks | Petals cream-yellow, with dark streaks | Petals cream-yellow, dark streaked or dotted |
| Stamens | Filaments fused, 1 to 3.5 mm (0.0 to 0.1 in) long, shorter than the petals | Filaments distinct, 3.5 to 7 mm (0.1 to 0.3 in) long, as long as or slightly longer than the petals | Filaments distinct, 4 to 5 mm (0.2 to 0.2 in) long, nearly twice as long as the petals |
Lysimachia × commixta was first collected (as L. terrestris) by H. Eggert in 1878 in St. Clair County, Illinois.[2] It was described by Merritt Lyndon Fernald in 1950 based on an earlier report by Fernald and Karl McKay Wiegand published in 1910.[8][9] However, Fernald did not provide a Latin description of the hybrid and so technically the name is invalid.[10]
Specimens of Lysimachia × commixta Fernald
Specimen collected by Eggert in Illinois in 1875
Specimen collected by Knowlton in Vermont in 1938
Specimen collected by Gravel and Tessier in Quebec in 1969
The distribution of Lysimachia × commixta coincides with that of its parents. The hybrid ranges from eastern Canada, across New England, New York, and the Great Lakes region, extending as far west as Minnesota.[2][11]
Lysimachia × commixta is local in distribution.[12] The parents may or may not be found in the vicinity of hybrid populations. For example, the populations in St. Clair County, Illinois, discovered by Eggert in 1878, appear to be extra-parental in range. The hybrid's expansion into southern Illinois is thought to be a result of vegetative propagation along the Mississippi River lowlands.[2]
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