Polygonum erectum |
|
---|---|
devil's shoestring, erect knotweed, renouée dressée, upright knotweed, wireweed |
|
Habit | Plants light green or yellowish, heterophyllous. |
Stems | erect to ascending, sparingly branched in distal 1/2, not wiry, 15–75 cm. |
Leaves | ocrea 7–12 mm, proximal part cylindric, distal part usually persistent, with strong veins, margins entire or lacerate, silvery, later disintegrating into ± persistent brown fibers; petiole 1–5 mm; blade light green or yellowish, elliptic to obovate, 30–60(–80) × (8–)10–25 mm, margins flat, apex obtuse; stem leaves 1.5–3.5(–4) times longer than branch leaves; distal leaves overtopping flowers in distal part of inflorescence. |
Inflorescences | axillary; cymes in axils of most leaves and toward tips of stems and branchs, 1–5-flowered. |
Pedicels | mostly exserted from ocreae, 3–7 mm. |
Flowers | closed; perianth 2.8–3.8(–4.2) mm; tube 20–37% of perianth length; tepals overlapping, green with yellowish, rarely whitish green, margins, sepaloid, not keeled, oblong to obovate, cucullate; midveins branched, moderately to heavily thickened; stamens 7–8. |
Achenes | enclosed in perianth, brown to tan, ovate, 3-gonous, 2.3–3.5 mm, faces subequal, ± concave, apex not beaked, edges concave, dull, striate-tubercled; late-season achenes uncommon, 4–5 mm. |
Polygonum erectum |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Oct. |
Habitat | Dry, waste ground |
Elevation | 10-300 m (0-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; ON; QC; SK
|
Discussion | Polygonum erectum was cultivated in the midwest by Native Americans for its starchy seeds (C. M. Scarry 1993). It was formerly confused with P. achoreum (T. R. Mertens and P. H. Raven 1965). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 550. |
Parent taxa | Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Polygonum > sect. Polygonum |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 363. (1753) |
Web links |
|