Lysimachia lanceolata (Lanceleaf Loosestrife) at the Lordi Marker Prairie on 6-8-26, #1096-53.

Lanceleaf Loosestrife

Lysimachia lanceolata

ly-si-MAK-ee-uh  lan-see-oh-LAY-tuh

Synonyms of Lysimachia lanceolata (12) (Updated on 8-9-26 from Plants of the World Online): Lysimachia angustifolia Lam. (1792), Lysimachia ciliata var. angustifolia (Lam.) Chapm. (1860), Lysimachia ciliata var. heterophylla (Michx.) Chapm. (1860), Lysimachia dubia Sol. ex Willd. (1809) (nom. illeg. homonym. post.), Lysimachia heterophylla Michx. (1803), Lysimachia hybrida var. heterophylla (Michx.) Alph.Wood (1870), Lysimachia lanceolata var. angustifolia (Lam.) A.Gray (1856), Nummularia lanceolata (Walter) Kuntze (1891), Steironema floridum Baudo (1843), Steironema heterophyllum (Michx.) Raf. ex B.D.Jacks. (1895), Steironema lanceolatum (Walter) A.Gray (1877), Steironema lanceolatum var. angustifolium (Lam.) A.Gray (1877)

Lysimachia lanceolata Walter is the accepted scientific name for this species is Lysimachia. It was named and described as such by Thomas Walter in Flora Caroliniana in 1788.

The genus, Lysimachia L., was named as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 8-9-26 when this page was first published, Plants of the World Online lists 292 species in the Lysimachia genus. It is a member of the plant family Primulaceae with 55 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

Distribution map of Lysimachia lanceolata from Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Retrieved on August 9, 2026.

The above distribution map for Lysimachia lanceolata is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native. The map on the USDA Plants Database is similar. No map is perfect, but they do give a general idea.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

Lysimachia lanceolata (Lanceleaf Loosestrife) at the Lordi Marker Prairie on 6-8-26, #1096-54.Until May 4 in 2025, I had been identifying wildflowers on the family farm, a friends farm and woods, along back roads and highways, etc. Then, on May 4 in 2025, a friend invited me to visit a private native prairie. It was incredible and I photographed 11 new to me species! We went back again on 4-19-26. I took friends on May 3, and there wasn’t much to see then. Then, on June 8 in 2026, he took me to the Lordi Marker Prairie then to Drover’s Prairie where I photographed 19 species, 10 new to me. On 6-22-26, I took my son, and we went to the Friendly Prairie for the first time, then on to the Lordi Marker and Drover’s Prairie. I photographed 22 species at the Friendly Prairie, 6 species at Lordi Marker Prairie, and 17 species at Drover’s Prairie. 11 more new to me. 

Lysimachia lanceolata (Lanceleaf Loosestrife) at the Lordi Marker Prairie on 6-8-26, #1096-55.

I ran across this interesting new-to-me species while visiting the Lordi Marker Prairie on June 8 in 2026. It was quite odd with downward facing flowers that hung from the tip of a long stem. The flower stem seemed to emerge from axil of the leaf and dangle off the tip of the leaf… I took a lot of photos and put one of the best on the iNaturalist drag-and-drop feature (you have to sign in to do that) and the first suggestion was Lysimachia lanceolata. I checked out that species on the Missouri Plants website and, sure enough, iNaturalist seemed to be right again…

Lysimachia lanceolata (Lanceleaf Loosestrife) at the Lordi Marker Prairie on 6-8-26, #1096-56.

I went ahead and published this page with the photos, but I will come back later and write descriptions. There are several links at the bottom of the page with a lot of useful information about the species and great descriptions. There isn’t very much online about this neat species, but maybe someday there will be more. There were certainly a lot of them at the Lordi Marker Prairie.

Lysimachia lanceolata (Lanceleaf Loosestrife) at the Lordi Marker Prairie on 6-8-26, #1096-57.

I will continue to go back to the three prairies and possibly other areas to see what else I can find and to take more photos…

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and they have provided much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
SEINet

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂