Plants · La Saladita, Guerrero

Mexican Primrose-willow

Ludwigia octovalvis

Spanish: Calavera

Mexican Primrose-willow (Ludwigia octovalvis)
Photographed by zihuadean on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Ludwigia octovalvis is a species of flowering plant in the Onagraceae family known by the common name Mexican primrose-willow. Its native distribution is unclear, but can be found in Central America, Australia, South-East Asia, Tamilnadu (IND), the Middle East, the Central-West African regions and spreads easily to become naturalized. It is also cultivated as an aquatic plant. The plant is known for its anti-aging properties. The species is sometimes regarded as an invasive species and is classified by IUCN as of "least concern" with stable populations. An adult plant is one meter tall on average but is able to grow taller. It spreads to form mats on the mud, rooting at nodes in contact with the substrate, or floats ascending in the water. Its flowers are yellow in appearance. They are made up of green and red stems. They yield small capsular fruits containing many minute seeds.

TaxonomyMagnoliopsida › Myrtales › Onagraceae
Local records9 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records22,499 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2022 – 2025
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Plants guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Mexican Primrose-willow (Ludwigia octovalvis) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/ludwigia-octovalvis/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.