Persicaria minor

Plants annual, 0.5–3 (–4) dm; roots also sometimes at from proximal nodes; rhizomes and stolons absent. Stems decumbent or ascending, branched proximally, scarcely ribbed, glabrous or scabrous distally. Leaves: 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, 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, 0.5–1 mm. Flowers 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, 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.

Phenology: Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat: Damp, open places
Elevation: 0-100 m

Introduced; N.B., Ont., Que., Conn., Ind., La., Mass., Nebr., Pa., Vt., Va., Europe

Discussion

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).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa