LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY (Lythraceae)
LANCE-LEAVED LOOSESTRIFE
Leaves opposite or whorled; sepals 4-6, united into a tube; petals 4-6, or absent, attached on calyx tube; stamens few or many; ovary superior.
Lance-Leaved Loosestrife (Lythrum lanceolatum) grows in low grounds or swamps from Texas to Oklahoma and South Carolina. The loosestrife family is close kin to the evening-primrose family and has 4-6 petals borne above the seed capsule. “Lythrum” is from the Greek meaning “gore” and refers to the red-purple color of some of the flowers. The common name of loosestrife comes from an old legend that they free from strife. The plant has slender stems 2-4 ft. high and numerous flowers borne in loose spikes. The short, narrow leaves are seldom more than 1-2 in. long. The delicate petals are somewhat darker veined and do not last long. It blooms in the late spring and summer.
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), native of China or India, is widely cultivated in the state and is being planted along highways. It has escaped cultivation in the woods in East Texas. It is a shrub or small tree which is covered during the summer months with a profusion of white, pink, lavender, or rose flowers.