Persicaria
Persicaria is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae. Plants of the genus are known commonly as knotweeds or smartweeds. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species occurring nearly worldwide. The genus was segregated from Polygonum.
Description
The genus includes annual and perennial herbs with taproots or fibrous root systems, or with rhizomes or stolons. The stems are often erect but may be prostrate along the ground, and some species are prickly. The stems are self-supporting or twining and climbing. The leaves are alternately arranged, deciduous, and variously shaped. The brownish or reddish ochrea may be leathery to papery. The inflorescence may be a panicle or a spikelike or headlike arrangement of fascicles of flowers. The flower is white, greenish, reddish, pink or purple, with the tepals partially fused together along the bases. The fruit is an achene which can take a number of shapes, including a disc or a sphere.
Taxonomy
Within the family Polygonaceae, Persicaria is placed in the subfamily Polygonoideae, where the tribe Persicarieae consists of two sister genera, Bistorta and Koenigia, together with Persicaria.
Species
, the following 132 species were accepted:Persicaria acuminata Persicaria akakiensis Persicaria × ambigua Persicaria amphibia – amphibious bistort, water smartweedPersicaria angustifolia Persicaria arifolia – halberd-leaf tearthumbPersicaria assamica Persicaria attenuata Persicaria barbata Persicaria × bicolor Persicaria biconvexa Persicaria bicornis – pink smartweedPersicaria borneensis Persicaria × brauniana Persicaria breviochreata Persicaria bungeana – prickly smartweedPersicaria capitata – pink-head knotweedPersicaria careyi – pink-head knotweedPersicaria celebica Persicaria cespitosa Persicaria changhuaensis Persicaria chinensis – Chinese knotweedPersicaria clivorum Persicaria × condensata Persicaria criopolitana Persicaria debilis Persicaria decipiens – slender knotweed, willow-weedPersicaria dichotoma Persicaria diospyrifolia Persicaria dissitiflora Persicaria eciliata Persicaria elatior Persicaria erectominor Persicaria extremiorientalis Persicaria ferruginea Persicaria × figertii Persicaria filiformis Persicaria foliosa Persicaria galapagensis Persicaria geocarpica Persicaria glabra – smooth smartweedPersicaria glacialis Persicaria glandulopilosa Persicaria glomerata Persicaria greuteriana Persicaria hassegawae Persicaria hastatosagittata Persicaria × hervieri Persicaria hirsuta – hairy smartweedPersicaria hispida Persicaria huananensis Persicaria humboldtiana Persicaria humilis Persicaria × hybrida Persicaria hydropiper – water-pepper, marsh-pepper smartweedPersicaria hydropiperoides – swamp smartweed, mild water-pepperPersicaria hystricula Persicaria imeretina Persicaria × intercedens Persicaria japonica Persicaria javanica Persicaria jucunda Persicaria kawagoeana Persicaria lanata Persicaria lankeshanensis Persicaria lapathifolia – pale persicariaPersicaria leblebicii Persicaria lii Persicaria limbata Persicaria limicola Persicaria longiflora Persicaria longiseta – bristly lady's thumbPersicaria maackiana Persicaria macrantha Persicaria maculosa – Jesusplant, spotted lady's thumb, redshankPersicaria madagascariensis Persicaria manshuricola Persicaria meisneriana – Mexican tearthumbPersicaria microcephala Persicaria mikawana Persicaria minor – small water-pepperPersicaria mitis Persicaria muricata Persicaria × musashinoensis Persicaria nakaii Persicaria nataliae Persicaria neofiliformis Persicaria nepalensis – Nepal knotweedPersicaria nogueirae Persicaria obtusifolia Persicaria odorata – Vietnamese corianderPersicaria orientalis – kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate, prince's feather, princess-featherPersicaria palmata Persicaria paradoxa Persicaria paraguayensis Persicaria paralimicola Persicaria pensylvanica – Pennsylvania smartweedPersicaria perfoliata Persicaria peruviana Persicaria pilushanensis Persicaria pinetorum Persicaria poiretii Persicaria posumbu Persicaria praetermissa Persicaria prostrata - creeping knotweedPersicaria × pseudoincana Persicaria × pseudolapathum Persicaria pubescens Persicaria pulchra Persicaria punctata – dotted knotweedPersicaria puritanorum Persicaria robustior – stout smartweedPersicaria rotunda Persicaria rubricaulis Persicaria runcinata Persicaria sagittata – American tearthumb, arrowleaf tearthumb, arrowvinePersicaria sagittifolia Persicaria segetum Persicaria senegalensis Persicaria senticosa Persicaria setacea – bog smartweedPersicaria setosula Persicaria sinica Persicaria sinuata Persicaria snobarii Persicaria stagnina Persicaria stelligera Persicaria strigosa – spotted knotweedPersicaria strindbergii Persicaria subsessilis Persicaria sylvestris Persicaria taitoinsularis Persicaria taquetii Persicaria thunbergii Persicaria tinctoria – Chinese indigo, polygonum-indigoPersicaria tomentosa Persicaria trigonocarpa Persicaria umbrosa Persicaria virginiana – jumpseedPersicaria viscofera Persicaria viscosa Persicaria wellensii Persicaria × wilmsii
General and cited references
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