by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages
Polygonaceae>Polygonum | |
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Fringed Black Bindweed, Fringed Climbing Buckwheat (Polygonum cilinode) Watauga Co., NC 23 July 2006 Uncommon and found at high elevation outcrops and other open areas near forests. Taxonomic revision suggests recognizing splitting this species and a few others into the genus Fallopia. |
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Fringed Black Bindweed, Fringed Climbing Buckwheat (Polygonum cilinode) Watauga Co., NC 23 July 2006 Fruit (nutlets) are shiny black when ripe. |
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Fringed Black Bindweed, Fringed Climbing Buckwheat (Polygonum cilinode) Watauga Co., NC 23 July 2006 |
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Oriental Ladysthumb, Long-bristled Smartweed, Tufted Knotweed (Polygonum cespitosum) Durham Co., NC 30 Sep 2007 Some authorities consider this taxon to be native to both the US and Asia while others believe it is strictly introduced to the US. Similar to P. persicaria but that species usually has a purple blotch on the leaves and it lacks the long cilia in the flower spikes. |
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Oriental Ladysthumb, Long-bristled Smartweed, Tufted Knotweed (Polygonum cespitosum) Durham Co., NC 30 Sep 2007 Recent taxonomic studies suggest this species should be placed in the genus Persicaria and that this taxon should be called Persicara longiseta. |
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Oriental Ladysthumb, Long-bristled Smartweed, Tufted Knotweed (Polygonum cespitosum) Durham Co., NC 30 Sep 2007 Found along roadsides, trail sides, ditches, etc. statewide in NC and becoming fairly common in areas. |
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Arrowleaf Tearthumb, Arrowvine, Scratch-grass (Polygonum sagittatum) Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 Widespread and common in North Carolina in and along the edges of wet habitats. Recent taxonomic studies suggest this species should be placed in the genus Persicaria and that this taxon should be called Persicara sagittata. |
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Arrowleaf Tearthumb, Arrowvine, Scratch-grass (Polygonum sagittatum) Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 Note here the recurved barbs that give rise to the common name "tearthumb" given to this group of plants. |
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Arrowleaf Tearthumb, Arrowvine, Scratch-grass (Polygonum sagittatum) Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 |
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Mild Waterpepper, Swamp Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiperoides, Persicaria hydropiperoides) Edge of an impounded pond, Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 Variable in appearance, this taxon is common in wet habitats in the eastern half of NC. |
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Mild Waterpepper, Swamp Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiperoides, Persicaria hydropiperoides) Edge of an impounded pond, Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 |
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Mild Waterpepper, Swamp Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiperoides, Persicaria hydropiperoides) Edge of an impounded pond, Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 |
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Mild Waterpepper, Swamp Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiperoides, Persicaria hydropiperoides) Edge of an impounded pond, Richmond Co., NC 7 Oct 2007 Thanks to Mengchi Ho for identification! |
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Water Smartweed (Polygonum amphibium, Persicaria amphibia) On a sandy beach of a lake, Quebec, Canada 5 Aug 2005 Uncommon to rare (NC Watch List) in the western half of North Carolina, this species grows in sand, mud, and shallow water. |
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Water Smartweed (Polygonum amphibium, Persicaria amphibia) On a sandy beach of a lake, Quebec, Canada 5 Aug 2005 Thanks to Mengchi Ho for identification! |
Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.
Created on Aug 8, 2006 | jspippen@duke.edu