• Scientific Name: Epilobium hirsutum L.
• Ref: Sp. Pl.:347. 1753
• Synonyms:
  • Chamaenerion grandiflorum (Weber) Moench
  • C. hirsutum (L.) Scop.
  • Epilobium amplexicaule Lam.
  • E. aquaticum Thuill.
  • E. dubium Borbás
  • E. grandiflorum Weber
  • E. himalense Royle
  • E. hirsutum f. alboroseum D.C.McClint.
  • E. hirsutum f. minus Gancev
  • E. incanum Pers.
  • E. mirei Quézel
  • E. nassirelinulci Stapf
  • E. ramosum Huds.
  • E. serratum Jacquem. ex C.B.Clarke
  • E. tomentosum Vent.
  • E. villosum Thunb.
• English Common Name: great willowherb, great hairy willowherb, hairy willowherb
• Chinese Common Name: 柳叶菜 liǔyè∙cài
• Japanese Common Name: オオアカバナ [大赤花] ōakabana
• Family: Onagraceae
• Genus: Epilobium
• Distribution: Wet places near streams, ditches, marshes, gravel or sandy beds of rivers, roadsides; (200-)500-2000 m in N China, (100-)500-2800(-3500) m in SW China. Anhui, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Afghanistan, India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia; widespread in Africa, SW Asia, Europe, and naturalized in North America].
• Photo: Baotianman, Henan

Herbs robust, perennial, sometimes woody near base with long, thick, ropelike hypogeal stolons often terminating in a rosette of leaves. Stems 25-120(-250) cm tall, much branched in upper half, densely villous pubescent, with short glandular hairs especially on inflorescence, rarely sparsely pubescent, or rarely densely white tomentose. Leaves sessile and clasping stem; cauline blade lanceolate-elliptic to narrowly obovate or elliptic, rarely very narrowly lanceolate, 4-12(-23) × 0.3-4(-5) cm, both surfaces villous, very rarely glabrescent, base subcuneate and clasping, margin serrulate with 20-50 teeth per side, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescence and flowers erect. Sepals 6-12 mm, often keeled. Petals bright pink to dark purple, 8-20 mm. Stigma deeply 4-lobed. Capsules 2.5-9 cm, pubescent or rarely glabrescent; pedicels 0.5-2 cm. Seeds dark brown, 0.8-1.2 mm, coarsely papillose, with inconspicuous chalazal collar; coma tawny or dull white, detaching easily. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 36. (Flora of China)