Lythrum paradoxum
KoehneAnnual herb, erect, to 60 cm tall, glabrous. Leaves mostly alternate, narrowly ovate to linear, 0.5–7 cm long, 1–10 mm wide, sessile; apex acute; base rounded to obtuse. Flowers 1–7 in axillary cymes or clusters; pedicle to 4 mm long; hypanthium tubular, 4–6 mm long, c. 1.5 mm diam., appendages 4–6, narrowly triangular, c. 1 mm long; sepals 4–6, triangular, c. 0.3 mm long; petals 4–6, spreading, broadly ovate, 2–4 mm long, pink or purple; stamens 8–12, exserted. Capsule cylindric, about the same length as hypanthium, dehiscing by 4 valves. Flowers Dec. (2 records).
MuM, VRiv. Also WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW. In Victoria, apparently restricted to seasonally inundated Eucalyptus largiflorens woodlands south of Swan Hill.
Lythrum paradoxum and L. wilsonii are only known from 2 sites in northern Victoria where they also grow with L. hyssopifolia. Both L. paradoxum and L. wilsonii have flowers in clusters, but L. paradoxum made be distinguished from L. wilsonii by its taller, consistently erect habit, larger leaves, and more numerous and exserted stamens.
Stems with solitary flowers can resemble those of L. hyssopifolia. However, solitary flowers tend to more infrequent than clustered flowers, and stamens are always exserted. Whereas L. hyssopifolia consistently has 1 (rarely 2) flower per axil and stamens that are included or only slightly exserted.
