Rainbow weed, Spiked loosestrife,
Hebrew: שנית גדולה
| Scientific name: | Lythrum salicaria L. | |
| Common name | Purple Loosestrife, Purple lythrum, Rainbow weed, Spiked loosestrife | |
| Hebrew name: | שנית גדולה | |
| Nederlandse naam: | Grote kattestaart | |
| Family: | Lythraceae, Loosestrife family, כפריים |
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| Life form: | Hemicryptophyte | |
| Stems: | 80-220 cm high, erect, 4-angled, pubescent;becoming woody with age | |
| Leaves: | Stalkless leaves, opposite, entire, lanceolate to narrowly oblong, sometimes covered with fine hairs; the variability in pubescence and leaf shape is influenced by light levels - leaf area increases and fine hairs decrease with lower light levels | |
| Inflorescence: | Flower spikes, 1- to multi-flowered whorled axillary cymes, 15-35 cm | |
| Flowers: | Pink, complete flower, 5-7 petals, same number of sepals as petals, and twice as many stamens as petals; usually 6 sepals, 6 petals, 12 stamens; ovary superior, with two fused carpels | |
| Fruits / pods: | Capsule, two-valved | |
| Flowering Period: | June, July, August, September, October, November | |
| Habitat: | Humid habitats | |
| Distribution: | The Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Deserts and extreme deserts | |
| Chorotype: | Plurireginalbor-trop | |
| Summer shedding: | Perennating |
Derivation of the botanical name: Lythrum, Greek lythron, "blood," from the color of the flowers. salicaria, salix, a willow-tree, arius, connected to or possessed by; willow like. The Hebrew name: שנית, shanit, formed from שני (= scarlet, crimson), with suffix-ית, it; so called in allusion to the color of its flowers.
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