Jussiaea suffruticosa L. Aquatic herb, usually to 1.5 m tall; stems usually branched and weakly or rather densely pubescent. Leaves variable, sessile or short-petiolate, lanceolate or oblong to linear, acute to acuminate at apex, acute to attenuate at base, the larger leaves 6-15 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide. Flowers solitary in axils, 4-parted; sepals ovate or lanceolate, 3-15 mm long; petals obovate, yellow, rounded or emarginate at apex, to 1.5 cm long; stamens 8, in 2 series, the outer 4 opposite petals, the inner 4 around style, longer than style in bud; anthers extrorse; style 1.5-3.5 mm long; stigma +/- globular, held just above anthers at anthesis. Capsules +/- cylindrical, 2-5 cm long, striate with 8 darker ribs, weathering at maturity, splitting apart longitudinally; seeds multiseriate in each locule, free, minute, with the raphe enlarged and as large as body of seed, the seeds dispersed by wind and water. Croat 6863, 15245. This species as treated here includes both Jussiaea suffruticosa L. var. octofila (DC.) Munz and var. ligustrifolia (H.B.K.) Griseb. as treated by Munz in the Flora of Panama (1959). in all areas, from tropical dry forest in Coclé, from premontane wet forest in Chiriqui, from tropical wet forest in Colón, Coclé, and Darién, and from lower montane wet forest in Chiriqui.