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coastal jointweed, northern jointweed

Habit Herbs, annual, synoecious, 1–5 dm.
Stems

erect, branched proximally and distally, glabrous.

Leaves

persistent or fugaceous;

ocrea margins not ciliate;

blade linear to narrowly clavate, (1.5–)5–20(–35) × 0.4–1.2 mm, base barely tapered, margins not hyaline, apex obtuse, glabrous.

Inflorescences

(13–)20–33(–40) mm;

ocreola encircling rachis, only the base adnate to rachis, apex acute.

Pedicels

spreading in anthesis, reflexed in fruit, 0.9–2.1 mm, longer than subtending ocreola.

Flowers

bisexual;

outer tepals loosely appressed in anthesis and fruit, pink to white, occasionally red, distal portion of midrib often inconspicuously greenish, elliptic to obovate, 1.3–2.3 mm in flower, margins entire to erose;

inner tepals loosely appressed in anthesis and fruit, white to pink, occasionally red, elliptic, 1.3–2.3 mm in anthesis, margins mostly entire;

filaments dimorphic;

anthers yellow or pink;

styles and stigmas ca. 0.1 mm in anthesis.

Achenes

included or exserted, reddish brown, 3(–4)-gonous, 2–2.8 × 1–1.3 mm, shiny, smooth.

2n

= 32.

Polygonella articulata

Phenology Flowering Sep–Nov.
Habitat Pine barrens, sandhills, and sandy sites along lake shores, beaches, river banks, roadsides, and railroads
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VA; VT; WI; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 539.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Polygonella
Sibling taxa
P. americana, P. basiramia, P. ciliata, P. fimbriata, P. gracilis, P. macrophylla, P. myriophylla, P. parksii, P. polygama, P. robusta
Synonyms Polygonum articulatum
Name authority (Linnaeus) Meisner: Pl. Vasc. Gen. 2: 228. (1841)
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