Polygonum californicum |
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California knotweed |
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Habit | Herbs. |
Stems | erect, green, simple or divaricately branched, ± wiry, 4–40 cm, papillose-scabridulous. |
Leaves | uniformly distributed, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves usually caducous, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts; ocrea 5–10 mm, glabrous or papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part white or tawny, disintegrating into ± bristly-fringed fibers; petiole absent; blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear, 5–25(–30) × 0.5–2 mm, margins revolute, papillose-denticulate or smooth, apex mucronate or weakly spine-tipped. |
Inflorescences | axillary; cymes in distal axils, 1-flowered. |
Pedicels | absent. |
Flowers | open or closed; perianth 2.5–3.5 mm; tube 10–20% of perianth length; tepals overlapping, uniformly white to pink, petaloid, elliptic, navicular, apex acute to acuminate; midveins unbranched; stamens 8. |
Achenes | enclosed in or slightly exserted from perianth, brown, narrowly elliptic, 1.8–2.2 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth. |
Polygonum californicum |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Sep. |
Habitat | Open places, including serpentine |
Elevation | 40-1200 m (100-3900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 564. |
Parent taxa | Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Polygonum > sect. Duravia |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Duravia californica, P. greenei |
Name authority | Meisner: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 100. (1856) |
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