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Carey's smartweed, renouée de Carey

hairy smartweed

Habit Plants annual, 3–15(–20) dm; roots also rarely arising from proximal nodes; rhizomes and stolons absent. Plants perennial, 3–9 dm; roots also often arising from proximal nodes; rhizomes present.
Stems

erect, branched distally, ribbed distally, hirsute proximally, stipitate-glandular distally, usually smooth proximally.

decumbent to ascending or erect, branched, without noticeable ribs, brownish-hirsute on internodes.

Leaves

ocrea brownish to reddish brown, cylindric, 8–20 mm, chartaceous, base inflated or not, margins truncate, ciliate with bristles 2–7 mm, surface strigose to hirsute, not glandular-punctate, rarely stipitate-glandular;

petiole (0.1–)0.5–1.5 cm, hirsute, leaves sometimes sessile;

blade without dark triangular or lunate blotch adaxially, narrowly lanceolate, 6–18 × 1–3.5 cm, base tapering, margins antrorsely strigose, apex acuminate to attenuate, faces sparingly hirsute abaxially and adaxially, veins often hirsute, sometimes stipitate-glandular.

ocrea brown to reddish brown, cylindric, 6–12 mm, chartaceous, base sometimes inflated, margins truncate, eciliate or ciliate with bristles 4–7.5 mm, surface hirsute, not glandular-punctate;

petiole 0.1(–0.3) cm, hirsute, leaves sometimes sessile;

blade without dark triangular or lunate blotch adaxially, ovate to lanceolate, (2–)4–8 × (0.5–)1–2.5 cm, base rounded to cordate, margins strigose to hirsute, apex acute to acuminate, faces sparingly hirsute abaxially and adaxially, midvein usually hirsute abaxially.

Inflorescences

terminal and axillary, nodding or drooping, usually interrupted, 10–100 × 5–10 mm;

peduncle 20–50 mm, stipitate-glandular;

ocreolae overlapping or not overlapping proximally, margins eciliate or ciliate with bristles to 1.3 mm.

mostly terminal, erect, interrupted proximally, usually uninterrupted distally, 20–80 × 4–8 mm;

peduncle 30–60 mm, hirsute or, sometimes, nearly glabrous distally;

ocreolae overlapping distally, usually not overlapping proximally, margins ciliate with bristles 0.4–1.5(–2) mm.

Pedicels

ascending to spreading, 1–4 mm.

ascending, 1–2 mm.

Flowers

(1–)2–8 per ocreate fascicle, homostylous;

perianth roseate or purple, glabrous, not glandular-punctate, scarcely accrescent;

tepals 5, connate in proximal 1/3, obovate, 2.4–3.2 mm, veins prominent or not, not anchor-shaped, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded;

stamens 5 (or 8), included;

anthers pink, elliptic;

styles 2, connate to middle.

1–3 per ocreate fascicle, homostylous;

perianth white to pink, glabrous, not glandular-punctate, nonaccrescent;

tepals 5, connate in proximally 1/3, obovate, 1.5–2 mm, veins not prominent, not anchor-shaped, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded;

stamens 5, included;

anthers red, elliptic to ovate;

styles 3, connate proximally.

Achenes

included, dark brown to black, biconvex, 1.8–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, shiny, smooth.

included or apex exserted, dark brown to brownish black, 3-gonous, 2–2.5 × 1.3–1.8 mm, shiny, smooth.

2n

= 20.

Persicaria careyi

Persicaria hirsuta

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Low thickets, swamps, bogs, moist shorelines, clearings, recent burns, cultivated ground Sandy soils, open areas in savannahs, pond margins, ditches, often in shallow water
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) 0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; FL; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VA; VT; WI; NB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; MS; NC; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

An infusion made from entire plants of Persicaria careyi was used by the Potawatomi as a cold remedy and febrifuge (D. E. Moerman 1998).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

C. B. McDonald (1980) showed that Persicaria hirsuta is closely related to P. setacea and P. hydropiperoides. Hybrids between P. hirsuta and P. setacea have been produced experimentally but appear to be rare in the wild. Although geographically sympatric, the two species generally occupy different habitats. Experimental crosses between P. hirsuta and P. hydropiperoides were unsuccessful (McDonald).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 592. FNA vol. 5, p. 587.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Persicaria > sect. Persicaria Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Persicaria > sect. Persicaria
Sibling taxa
P. amphibia, P. arifolia, P. bicornis, P. bungeana, P. capitata, P. chinensis, P. glabra, P. hirsuta, P. hydropiper, P. hydropiperoides, P. lapathifolia, P. longiseta, P. maculosa, P. meisneriana, P. minor, P. nepalensis, P. orientalis, P. pensylvanica, P. perfoliata, P. punctata, P. robustior, P. sagittata, P. setacea, P. virginiana, P. wallichii
P. amphibia, P. arifolia, P. bicornis, P. bungeana, P. capitata, P. careyi, P. chinensis, P. glabra, P. hydropiper, P. hydropiperoides, P. lapathifolia, P. longiseta, P. maculosa, P. meisneriana, P. minor, P. nepalensis, P. orientalis, P. pensylvanica, P. perfoliata, P. punctata, P. robustior, P. sagittata, P. setacea, P. virginiana, P. wallichii
Synonyms Polygonum careyi Polygonum hirsutum
Name authority (Olney) Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 24. (1904) (Walter) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 379. (1903)
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