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Pennsylvania smartweed, pinkweed, renouée de pennsylvanie

Asian knotweed, petite renouée, pygmy smartweed, small smartweed, small water-pepper

Habit Plants annual, 1–20 dm; roots also occasionally arising from basal nodes; rhizomes and stolons absent. Plants annual, 0.5–3(–4) dm; roots also sometimes at from proximal nodes; rhizomes and stolons absent.
Stems

ascending to erect, simple or branched, ribbed, glabrous or appressed-pubescent distally, eglandular or stipitate-glandular distally.

decumbent or ascending, branched proximally, scarcely ribbed, glabrous or scabrous distally.

Leaves

ocrea brownish, cylindric, 5–20 mm, chartaceous, base inflated, margins truncate, eciliate or ciliate with bristles to 0.5 mm, surface glabrous or appressed-pubescent, eglandular;

petiole 0.1–2(–3) cm, glabrous or appressed-pubescent;

blade sometimes with dark triangular or lunate blotch adaxially, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 4–17(–23) × (0.5–)1–4.8 cm, base tapered to cuneate, margins antrorsely scabrous, apex acuminate, faces glabrous or appressed-pubescent, eglandular or glandular-punctate abaxially and occasionally adaxially.

ocrea brownish, cylindric, 3–10 mm, chartaceous, base not inflated, margins truncate, ciliate with bristles (0.3–)1–3(–5) mm, surface glabrous or strigose, not glandular-punctate;

petiole 0.1–0.2 cm, glabrous or strigose, leaves sometimes sessile;

blade without dark triangular or lunate blotch adaxially, linear to linear-lanceolate, (1–)2–7.5(–10) × (0.2–)0.4–1(–2.3) cm, base tapered to cuneate, margins antrorsely scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, faces glabrous or sparingly strigose, especially along midveins, not glandular-punctate.

Inflorescences

terminal and axillary, erect or rarely nodding, uninterrupted, 5–50 × 5–15 mm;

peduncle 10–55(–70) mm, glabrous or pubescent, usually stipitate-glandular;

ocreolae overlapping, margins eciliate or ciliate with bristles to 0.5 mm.

terminal and axillary, ascending to erect, usually interrupted proximally, uninterrupted distally, 10–50 × 2–4 mm;

peduncle (0–)2–25 mm, sometimes absent on axillary inflorescences and flowers thus enclosed in ocreae, glabrous;

ocreolae not overlapping proximally, usually overlapping distally, margins ciliate with bristles (0.1–)0.6–2(–2.7) mm.

Pedicels

ascending, 1.5–4.5 mm.

ascending, 0.5–1 mm.

Flowers

2–14 per ocreate fascicle, homostylous;

perianth greenish white to roseate, glabrous, not glandular-punctate, accrescent;

tepals 5, connate ca. 1/4–1/3 their length, obovate to elliptic, 2.5–5 mm, veins prominent, not anchor-shaped, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded;

stamens 6–8, included;

anthers yellow, pink, or red, elliptic;

styles 2(–3), connate at bases.

1–3(–4) per ocreate fascicle, homostylous;

perianth roseate to red, rarely white, glabrous, not glandular-punctate, scarcely accrescent;

tepals 5, connate ca. 1/3 their length, obovate to elliptic, 2.5–3 mm, veins not prominent, not anchor-shaped, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded;

stamens 5(–6), included;

anthers yellow to pink, elliptic;

styles 2(–3), connate at bases.

Achenes

included or apex exserted, brown to black, discoid or, rarely, 3-gonous, without central hump on 1 side, 2.1–3.4 × 1.8–3 mm, shiny, smooth.

included, brownish black to black, biconvex or, rarely, 3-gonous, (1.5–)1.8–2.3(– 2.7) × (1.1–)1.3–1.5(–1.8) mm, shiny, smooth.

2n

= 88.

Persicaria pensylvanica

Persicaria minor

Phenology Flowering May–Dec. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Moist, disturbed places, ditches, riverbanks, cultivated fields, shorelines of ponds and reservoirs Damp, open places
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; South America (Ecuador); Europe (England, Spain)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IN; LA; MA; NE; PA; VA; VT; NB; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Persicaria pensylvanica is a morphologically variable allotetraploid, with P. lapathifolia probably one of the parents (L. L. Consaul et al. 1991). Three or four varieties (under Polygonum) often have been accepted in North American floras; the characters on which these are based vary greatly within and among populations. J. W. Taylor-Lehman (1987) concluded that Polygonum pensylvanicum is best treated as a polymorphic species without infraspecific taxa, based on specimens primarily from Ohio. The heterostylous Persicaria bicornis often is included in P. pensylvanica. A single chromosome count of 2n = 22 reported by Á. Löve and D. Löve (1982), which could not be confirmed by Consaul et al. because the voucher could not be found, is excluded. Flowers with three styles and trigonous achenes are produced; they are exceedingly rare and probably mostly overlooked. Several Native American tribes prepared infusions and decoctions from P. pensylvanica, which they used as drugs for humans and horses (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Persicaria minor is synonymized with P. maculosa in most North American floras; its distribution in the flora area is poorly known. Hybrids between P. minor and P. maculosa have been documented in Europe (R. H. Roberts 1977).

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 588. FNA vol. 5, p. 593.
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. careyi, 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. 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. hirsuta, P. hydropiper, P. hydropiperoides, P. lapathifolia, P. longiseta, P. maculosa, P. meisneriana, P. nepalensis, P. orientalis, P. pensylvanica, P. perfoliata, P. punctata, P. robustior, P. sagittata, P. setacea, P. virginiana, P. wallichii
Synonyms Polygonum pensylvanicum, P. mississippiensis, P. pensylvanica var. dura, Polygonum omissum, Polygonum pensylvanicum var. durum, Polygonum pensylvanicum var. eglandulosum, Polygonum pensylvanicum var. laevigatum, Polygonum pensylvanicum var. nesophilum, Polygonum pensylvanicum var. rosiflorum Polygonum minus, Polygonum minus var. subcontinuum
Name authority (Linnaeus) M. Gómez: Anales Inst. Segunda Enseñ. 2: 278. (1896) (Hudson) Opiz: Seznam, 72. (1852)
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