Polygonella articulata

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.

Phenology: Flowering Sep–Nov.
Habitat: Pine barrens, sandhills, and sandy sites along lake shores, beaches, river banks, roadsides, and railroads
Elevation: 0-500 m

Ont., P.E.I., Que., Conn., Del., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., R.I., Wis., Vt., Va.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa