Appearance
The prostrate perennial herb often forms a low growing mat. It is usually pubescent or sometimes glabrous and roots at nodes. The deep green leaves are 4 to 12 millimetres in length and 2 to 8 mm wide. The leave blade is oblong, elliptic or linear in shape or the lower ones ovate or obovate in shape.It forms white solitary flowers that are axillary and can be bisexual or unisexual. Capsules form later that are obconical to obovoid in shape and slightly asymmetric. They are usually 3 to 6 mm in length with a 3 mm diameter.
The plant flowers during the summer months between November and March producing a carpet of white-blue five-petalled star-shaped flowers that are ideal as groundcovers in garden beds, rockeries or between paving stones.
''I. fluviatilis'' prefers dappled sunlight or part shade and moist soil. It spreads via runners and is hardy in the US in zones 6-8. In the UK, it is hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK, and is considered generally pest and disease free.
Distribution
The species is often found growing in areas of moist sand or in mud along the margins of creeks and streams and seepage areas. It is also found among granite outcrops and wet depressions. It is found in south eastern Australia from southern parts of South Australia extending through much of Victoria, through much of Tasmania, eastern New South Wales and south eastern Queensland.References:
Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.
