Epilobium brunnescens New Zealand Willowherb

A prostrate, creeping, perennial willowherb which is native to New Zealand. It was first recorded in Britain as a garden weed in Scotland in 1904 and is now widespread and common in many parts of the west and north of Britain. It grows on damp, gritty soils, on rocks, walls and often near waterfalls, streams and ditches. When not in flower it can be mistaken for Bog Pimpernel (Lysimachia tenella), with which it sometimes grows. It is unmistakable in flower with its pale, four-petalled flowers held upright on long stalks. It is common in the uplands of West Glamorgan, particularly in the South Wales Coalfield in Neath Port Talbot, but it is largely absent from coastal areas and it is uncommon in Gower. It was probably introduced to Glamorgan in the 1940s and has undergone an impressive range expansion in upland habitats in the last 70 years.

Neophyte