Brookweed (Samolus Valerandi, L.)

The habitat of this plant is wet ground, ditches, often near the sea, damp watery places. The plant has the rosette habit. There is a short rootstock. The stem is erect, with prostrate or ascending branches, rooting at the base. The radical leaves form a rosette. The leaves are inversely ovate or spoon-shaped, blunt or shortly pointed, entire, fleshy. The stem-leaves are alternate. The flowers are numerous, white, borne on an erect raceme. The ultimate flower-stalks ascend. The bracts are adnate above the middle, small, and lance-shaped. The tube of the calyx is hemispherical, with triangular, acute lobes, and adheres to the ovary. The corolla-lobes are short and blunt, the corolla small, with a crown. The stamens are included. The capsule is round, with rough seeds. The plant is 1-2 ft. in height, usually 8-12 in. It flowers from June to September, and is a herbaceous perennial.