The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Habit Highly variable species, prostrate and spreading (but not rooting at the nodes) to occasionally erect, freely-branched annual, the stems terete, striate, up to 1 m. long.
Leaves

Numerous, bluish-green, only slightly reduced upward, narrowly oblong, 1-3 cm. long and 2-6 mm. broad, narrowed to a very short, jointed petiole;

stipules lacerate, 3-6 mm. long.

Flowers

1-3 in the axils of the leaves or leaf-like bracts, the pedicles 1-3 mm. long, erect;

perianth 2.5 mm. long, divided 2/3 the length, the segments 5, oblong, sub-equal, greenish with white to pink or red margins.

Fruits

Achene with 3 sharp angles, brownish, smooth.

Polygonum aviculare

Polygonum sawatchense

Flowering time May-October June-August
Habitat Dry or slightly moist, disturbed soil, often where hard-packed. Dry to moist forest openings and meadows from moderate elevations to the subalpine.
Distribution
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Both native and introduced Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
P. achoreum, P. austiniae, P. californicum, P. douglasii, P. erectum, P. fowleri, P. majus, P. minimum, P. nuttallii, P. paronychia, P. parryi, P. polygaloides, P. ramosissimum, P. sawatchense, P. spergulariiforme
P. achoreum, P. austiniae, P. aviculare, P. californicum, P. douglasii, P. erectum, P. fowleri, P. majus, P. minimum, P. nuttallii, P. paronychia, P. parryi, P. polygaloides, P. ramosissimum, P. spergulariiforme
Subordinate taxa
P. aviculare ssp. aviculare, P. aviculare ssp. buxiforme, P. aviculare ssp. depressum, P. aviculare ssp. neglectum
P. sawatchense ssp. oblivium, P. sawatchense ssp. sawatchense
Web links