Persicaria sagittata - (image 1 of 5)
Taxonomy
Family: Polygonaceae
Synonymous with Polygonum sagittatum L.
Habitat
Marshes, bogs, wet meadows.
Associates
Distribution
Newfoundland and Quebec west to Saskatchewan and south GA to TX.
Morphology
Decumbent annual herb; stems slender, 4-angled, reflexed prickly, 1-2 m long; leaves alternate, lanceolate to elliptic, sagittate, prickly along the midrib below; ocreae not foliaceous-expanded; flowers in short, head-like terminal and axillary racemes on long peduncles; tepals pink to white or green; style about 1.5 mm, trifid in the middle; achenes trigonous.
Notes
Flowers July to September
Wetland indicator: OBL
This species and P. arifolia belong to section Ehinocaulon of Persicaria characterized by slender stems with long internodes armed with reflexed prickles.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
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Michael Hough © 2009 |