I found a plant today that I was looking for last summer, when it was in bloom. I couldn’t find it then. It’s Seedbox (Ludwigia alternifolia), a native prairie wildflower that grows by the shore of our pond.
Flowers of the Seedbox
Seedbox is spindly. The flowers are a rich yellow, but they’re small and sparse, appearing only a few at a time along the stem. Each blossom lasts about one day. In the lush growth of summer, the plant disappears into its surroundings.
In October, Seedbox finally catches my attention. Not because of the blossoms, which are long gone. But rather because of the seedpods. Now that other vegetation has wilted or disappeared, seedbox has come into view.
Seeds of the Seedbox
The seedpods resemble little brown berries, the size of small peas. On stiff, slender stems, they show up when they’re silhouetted against the pond. They are the most interesting part of the plant.
Examined under the microscope, a pod does not actually appear round after all. It’s like a cleverly fashioned box, with slightly bulging panels made of suede. The panels remind me of the way my favorite suede gloves are sewn together, using a seamstress’s overhand stitch. Fine hairs add to the illusion of some surpassingly delicate animal hide.
Although it appears soft, the seedpod is brittle when dry. Looking closely, I see a tiny hole at the top. I hold a pod in my fingers and turn it over, and microscopic seeds pour out.
The seeds are the color of cinnamon, tiny, each slightly longer than 1/2 millimeter, which is fine as dust. They could float away on a breeze.
Seed strategy
The seeds rest loosely down in the pod. The pod is like a salt shaker, but with only one small hole. The seeds do not disperse all at once the moment they are ripe, as many flowers do. They must wait until some animal bumps the plant or a strong wind bends it. Then the seeds emerge, a few at a time, over the weeks or months.
I’m speculating on the plant’s strategy. The seeds are minuscule but abundant. They may ride on the wind or scoot across the ice of the pond, landing far from the parent plant. It is the rare seed that happens to land where it gets the required degree of moisture and sunlight, and where the soil is not already packed tightly with roots of established plants.
It’s playing the odds.
The role of Seedbox
Although Seedbox isn’t showy, it matters to a number of insects, including tiny Halictid bees, who feed on its nectar and pollen.
Insects of many species require a constant supply of food. Nature provides a sequence of many kinds of flowers so that there is always something for the insects.
And something for me.
I cherish the comments of readers.
This map from BONAP is for Laura Belin, fellow Iowa prairie enthusiast and author of Iowa Politics with Laura Belin. Counties where the plant is native are shown in light green.
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Well, lacking a pond or watery place, this one is mot for me. However, I was fascinated by your appreciative and clear descriptions of this little jewel. Thanks again Diane for bring an enlightened and enlightening window on my world.
Very interesting article. I also saw one by our pond this year--something I had not previously noticed. It could grow because the pond was so low.