Epilobium hirsutum (Great willowherb)

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Epilobium hirsutum L.

Great willowherb, hairy willow-herb, great hairy willowherb, apple-pie, cherry-pie, codlins-and-cream

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Myrtales	Includes myrtles, leadwoods, loosestrifes, pomegranates, evening primroses, many others
Family	Onagraceae	Willowherb/evening primrose family
Genus	Epilobium	From Greek epi, “upon,” and lobos, “a pod or capsule,” because the flower is attached directly to the ovary
Species	hirsutum	“Hairy”

About plant names...

Great willowherb is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and introduced to North America and Australia. Like purple loosestrife, it is invasive in wetlands, and is considered an invasive species in some areas.

Identification: Plants are up to 6½' (2 m) high, with multiply-branched, hairy stems. Leaves are opposite, ¾-4½" (2-12 cm) × ⅛-1¼" (5-35 mm), widest near the base, serrated. They attach directly to the stem, and are hairy on both sides. Flowers are rose pink, about ⅞" (2.5 cm) in diameter, with four notched petals. Seeds are flattened, about ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) in size, with a "parachute" of white hairs.

Edibility: Leaves can be used to make a tea called "kaporie tea" in Russian.

Online References:

Discover Life

The Ecology of Commanster

CalPhotos

Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

ARKive: Images of Life on Earth

The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

EFloras