Ludwigia peploides is a perennial herbaceous plant of wetlands whose sprawling stems usually grow flat along mud or the surface of the water. It is native to parts of Australia, New Zealand, North America, and South America.
Foliage
Leaves are alternately arranged and vary in shape and size, from lanceolate to ovate. They range from 0.5-4 in. (1.27-10.2 cm) long. Leaves are hairless and have smooth margins. Leaf petioles range from 1-1.5 in. (2.5-3.8 cm) long.
Flowers
L. peploides has solitary flowers are held on stems arising from the upper leaf axils. Stems can be floating or lying on the ground. Flowers have five bright notched yellow petals, 0.4-0.6 in. (1-1.5 cm) long.
Fruit
Fruits of L. peploides are glabrous to sparsely hairy cylindrical capsules that contain many small seeds about 0.04 in. (1 mm) in size.
Ecological Threat
L. peploides forms dense, fast-growing, floating mats that can displace native aquatic plants, wetland grasses, lower dissolved oxygen and pH of the water, reduce water quality for wildlife and increase sedimentation.