Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 347 (1753).

Derivation: Greek epi, upon; lobos, pod; the flower rests on a pod-like capsule.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Willow-herbs.

Description:
Perennial herbs with a slightly woody rhizome-like base producing usually erect branches ending in an inflorescence, rarely only annual weeds; leaves opposite becoming alternate on or near the inflorescence, sessile to shortly petiolate, serrate to serrulate, rarely entire.

Inflorescences racemes, or panicles with racemose branches with flowers subtended by leaf-like bracts; floral tube up to 2 mm long, rarely with a ring of hairs inside, deciduous; sepals 4, free; petals 4, obovate to emarginate, white to rose-purple; stamens 8 in 2 different whorls with outer longer ones; anthers almost basifixed, up to 2.5 mm long; ovary inferior, with 4 locules each with numerous ovules on an axile placenta; style about as long as or longer than the stamens, with a clavate stigma.

Loculicidal capsule opening from the apex; seeds obovoid, covered with papillae, crowned with a brittle tuft of hairs.

Distribution:  About 215 species found mainly in temperate to arctic regions of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. (P. H. & T. E. Raven (1976) New Zealand D.S.I.R. Bull. 216.)

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Also in the Australasian region many natural hybrids between taxa have been recorded but they are never common in relation to the parental taxa except in the case of E. billardieranum subsp. x intermedium.

Key to Species:

1. Leaves with the base truncate or subcordate, usually sessile, or if not then ovate rarely lanceolate
2. Plants covered with spreading non-glandular hairs usually longer than 1 mm	E. hirtigerum 3.
2. Plants usually with appressed hairs rarely together with erect landular or non-glandular hairs up to 0.5 mm long
3. Leaves ovate to lanceolate	E. billardieranum 1.
3. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate	E. pallidiflorum 4.
1. Leaves with the base cuneate, petiolate
4. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate; usually erect annual weeds	E. ciliatum 2.
4. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, acute to obtuse; perennials with a basal rootstock	E. billardieranum 1.

Author: Not yet available