This perennial wildflower is ¾-2½' tall and either unbranched or sparingly branched. The central stem is light green or yellowish green, 4-angled, finely grooved along its sides, and hairy. Pairs of opposite leaves occur along the central stem; they are 1½-3' long and ½-1½' across, becoming more slender where the flowers occur. Leaf shape is lanceolate-oblong to ovate. Leaf margins are coarsely dentate or pinnatifid with cleft lobes that are tooth-like in shape. Upper leaves that are adjacent to the flowers tend to have fewer teeth or lobes than middle or lower leaves. The upper blade surface is yellowish green to dark green, hairless to sparsely short-pubescent, and glandular. The lower blade surface is more pale and hairy; hairs are concentrated particularly along the major veins. The leaves usually have short stout petioles (less than ¼' long), although upper leaves may be sessile. Dense sessile whorls of small flowers occur in the axils of the upper leaves. Individual flowers are 1/8' across, consisting of a short-tubular calyx with 4-5 teeth, a white corolla with 4 lobes, 2 fertile stamens, and  an ovary with a style that is bifurcated at its tip. The calyx is light green or yellowish green and glabrous to sparsely pubescent; its teeth are linear-lanceolate (more than 2 times longer than across), tapering gradually to awn-like tips. Generally, the teeth of the calyx are longer than its tube. The lowest corolla lobe of each flower is purple-spotted. Linear-lanceolate bractlets are present at the bases of the flowers. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to autumn, lasting 2-3 months. Only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time toward the apex of the plant. Each flower is replaced by 4 nutlets that together form a slightly concave surface within the persistent calyx; these nutlets are shorter than the calyx. Individual nutlets are about 1.5 mm. long, obovoid, and angular along their sides. The root system is highly rhizomatous, forming colonies of plants from vegetative offsets.

The non-native Gypsywort is rare in Illinois, where it has been collected in McHenry County in the northeast section of the state (see Distribution Map). However, it is likely that this wildflower has occurred elsewhere within the state, at least temporarily. Gypsywort was introduced into the United States from Europe. Its current distribution is concentrated along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes, where it may have been introduced accidentally from the release of ballast by ocean-going cargo ships. Habitats in Illinois and other states in the Great Lakes region include wet sand prairies, interdunal swales and sloughs, riverbanks and edges of ponds, fens, marshy areas, and ditches. Usually Gypsywort is found in more disturbed areas, although it also occurs in higher quality wetlands, where it has some potential to be invasive.

Lycopus europaeus var. mollis Briq.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Lycopus europaeus L.:
China (Asia)
Japan (Asia)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Pakistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
Tajikistan (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
United States (North America)
Uzbekistan (Asia)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Hebei, Shaanxi, Xinjiang [Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, Europe, introduced in North America]

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Rhizomes transverse, producing long stolons enlarged at apex, with scalelike leaves. Stems erect, 15-80 cm, unbranched or apically branched. Petiole 0-5 mm; leaf blade oblong-elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 3-9 × 1-4 cm or more, base attenuate, apex acuminate; lower and mid stem leaves coarsely dentate, subglabrous or sparsely pubescent, glandular. Verticillasters globose, 8-10 mm in diam.; floral leaves subsessile; outer bracteoles to 4 mm, inner ones ca. 3 mm, linear-subulate, spinescent. Calyx ca. 3 mm, puberulent, ± conspicuously 10-15-veined; teeth 4 or 5, ca. 2 mm, erect, linear-lanceolate, apex spinescent. Corolla white, red spotted on lower lip, nearly included, ca. 3 mm, puberulent; tube ca. 2.5 mm, intricately white villous inside; limb obscurely 2-lipped, ca. 0.5 mm; upper lip circular, emarginate, lobes subequal. Anterior stamens exserted, posterior 2 lacking or reduced to staminodes. Nutlets 4-sided, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, adaxially slightly swollen, glandular at middle, base slightly attenuate, apex rounded; areolae basal, white. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

20-100 cm

The non-native Gypsywort is rare in Illinois, where it has been collected in McHenry County in the northeast section of the state (see Distribution Map). However, it is likely that this wildflower has occurred elsewhere within the state, at least temporarily. Gypsywort was introduced into the United States from Europe. Its current distribution is concentrated along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes, where it may have been introduced accidentally from the release of ballast by ocean-going cargo ships. Habitats in Illinois and other states in the Great Lakes region include wet sand prairies, interdunal swales and sloughs, riverbanks and edges of ponds, fens, marshy areas, and ditches. Usually Gypsywort is found in more disturbed areas, although it also occurs in higher quality wetlands, where it has some potential to be invasive.

Field margins, streamsides, grasslands; 700-1000 m.

For a closely related species, Lycopus americanus (Common Bugleweed), Robertson (1929) observed long-tongued bees, small-tongued bees, wasps, and flies as visitors of the flowers, where they fed primarily on nectar. In Germany, Müller (1873/1883) observed mostly Vespid wasps and miscellaneous flies visiting the flowers of Gypsywort. These insects cross-pollinate the flowers. The leaves of Lycopus spp. are eaten by the caterpillars of Sphinx eremitus (Hermit Sphinx). Mammalian herbivores generally avoid consumption of the foliage of species in this genus because of its bitter taste and lack of palatability.

Foodplant / open feeder
gregarious larva of Athalia lineolata grazes on leaf (underside) of Lycopus europaeus

Plant / resting place / on
adult of Cryptocephalus pusillus may be found on Lycopus europaeus
Remarks: season: 5-10

Foodplant / feeds on
Datonychus arquatus feeds on Lycopus europaeus

Foodplant / feeds on
Datonychus melanostictus feeds on Lycopus europaeus

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe biocellata parasitises live Lycopus europaeus

Foodplant / open feeder
adult of Longitarsus lycopi grazes on leaf of Lycopus europaeus

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed or semi-immersed pseudothecium of Lophiostoma angustilabrum is saprobic on dead stem of Lycopus europaeus
Remarks: season: 3-10

Foodplant / saprobe
stalked apothecium of Moellerodiscus tenuistipes is saprobic on dead stem of Lycopus europaeus

Foodplant / saprobe
erumpent apothecium of Mollisia lycopi is saprobic on dead stem of Lycopus europaeus
Remarks: season: 3

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Mollisiopsis lanceolata is saprobic on dead stem of Lycopus europaeus
Remarks: season: 5-8

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Pyrenopeziza lycopincola is saprobic on dead, rotten stem of Lycopus europaeus
Remarks: season: 7-8

Foodplant / spot causer
scattered pycnidium of Septoria coelomycetous anamorph of Septoria lycopi causes spots on leaf of Lycopus europaeus
Remarks: season: 8-9

Foodplant / open feeder
nocturnal larva of Tenthredo thomsoni grazes on leaf of Lycopus europaeus

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Specimens with Barcodes: 8
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

The preference is full or partial sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil that is loamy, silty, or sandy.