POLYGONUM PERSICARIA L.
Chrisshon Webb
Biology Major
University of Georgia
Athens,Ga
speedi@arches.uga.edu

          INDEX
Common Names/ Taxonomy/ Identification/ Geography/ Natural History/ How to Encounter/ References

     


    Photograph by unknown
    Copyright University of Georgia Herbarium, Dept. of Botany. All rights reserved.

    COMMON NAMES
        The common name of the species  Polygonum persicaria most widely used is ladysthumb (encyclopedia.com/articles/01973.html).  Other common names include; waterpepper, biting persicaria, bitytongue, arcmart, pepperplant, smartass, ciderage, red knees, culrage, bloodwart, and arsesmart (www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/smartw54.html)
     
     

    TAXONOMY
        Kingdom            Plantae
        Class           Dictoyledonae
        Order          Polygonales
        Family         Polygonaceae
        Subfamily    Polygonoideae
        Tribe          Polygoneae
        Genus         Polygonum
        Species       Persicaria
    buglady.clc.uc.edu/biology/ecology/checklist.htm
     
     
     
     

    IDENTIFICATION
       Ladysthumb  was first described by Linneaus.   They are herbaceous annuals or perennials.  The leaves alternate along the entire stem of the plant and are lanceolae to elliptic. They can grow 7-15 cm long 1.5-3 cm wide.  There may be a purpilish mark near the center of leaf which is where the name ladysthumb comes from   Ladysthumb have characteristic ocreae at the nodes of the leaves. The ocreae can either be with or without cilia and strigose.  Flowers are located in straight, compact racemes at the apices of stems and branches.  The color of the flowers are  from pale to deep pink with 5 petals (Redford,1964).
        The plants have now been deposited in the Herbarium of Linnean Society of London(www.Linnean.org).
     
     
     
     

    GEOGRAPHY

    Polygonum persicaria(L.)
    AREA STATUS REFERENCES
    North America: 
    Continental United States;Canada    		 Yes (Ref.1)
    Eastern North America: 
    United States east of Mississippi; 
    Ontario and eastern Canada    		 Widespread (Ref.1)
    Southeastern United States: 
    AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV    		 Yes (Ref.2)
    Southern Applachian States: 
    AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV    		 YES (Ref.2)
    Coastal Plain Riverflats and Swamps (Ref.3)
    Blue Ridge Mountains Yes (Ref.4)
    Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    		 No (Ref.4)
    Ridge and Valley Yes (Ref.4)
    Cumberland Plateau No Information (WEBB 99)
    Georgia Yes (Ref.5)
    Clarke county,Georgia Yes (Ref.5)

     
     
     
     

    NATURAL HISTORY
      Plants of the family Polygonaceae are usually perennial herbs or subshrubs adapted to wet or dry habitatats and occur in the temperate forest region of the northern hemisphere.  The species are usually hermaphroditic and homostylus. There is also a tendency towards dioecy, at least, with functionally male and female flowers on different plants.  Most taxa available in cultivation show self incompatibility which indicates outbreeding.  In a few cases a very low seed set was observed suggesting self- pollination.  Although cross-pollination is  probably the rule, this shows that autogamy is possible (Hong,1992).  An important part of seed dispersal in Polygonum is water dispersal.  They prefer cool, fertile, and moist habitats with partial shade.
     
     
     

    HOW TO ENCOUNTER
        Polygonum persicaria is the most important colonizer of fresh land.  Its native habitat is Europe, Russian Asia and through the Arctic regions. The weed has spread throughout North America, Great Brittain, and Ireland.  Ladysthumb emergge mainly April through May in moist, cool, and shady areas.
     
     
     
     
     

    REFERENCES
    1.)  www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/horticulture-news/june1998.html

    2.) www.nccnsw/org.au/bushland/reference/westsydney/The.html#Heading14

    3.) www.torreybotanical.com/psttrips.html

    4.) www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/WeedBiolLibrary/polygonumbiblio.html

    5.) enclycopedia.com/articles/01973.html

    6.) www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/smartw54.html

    7.) buglady.clc.uc.edu/biology/ecology/checklist.htm

    8.)www.msue.msu.edu/msue/iac/e1363/e1363.htm

    9.)www.botanical.com/botanical

    10.) Hong.  1992.  Taxonomy of the Gnus Aconogonon (Polygonaceae) in the Himalaya and
         Adjacent Regions.

    11.)Radford, A.E.,  H.E. Ahles and C.R. Bell.  1968.  Manual of the Vascular Flora of the
            Caroina's.  University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N.C.