Species: Polygonum punctatum var. confertiflorum (Meisn.) Fassett

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Polygonum punctatum var. confertiflorum (Meisn.) Fassett

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Polygonaceae

Genus:

Polygonum

Species Synonyms:

Persicaria punctata (Ell.) Small
Persicaria punctata var. leptostachya (Meisn.) Small
Polygonum punctatum var. leptostachyum (Meisn.) Small
Polygonum punctatum var. parvum Victorin & Rouss.

Common Names:

dotted smartweed

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia, central Saskatchewan – Manitoba – Ontario – Quebec – New Brunswick – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

central Saskatchewan; Buffalo Narrows – Ile-a-la-Crosse – Lac la Ronge – Jan Lake – Amisk Lake

Ecoregion:

Mid-Boreal Upland, Churchill River Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

wet, marshy or gravelly shores, forests, bogs or wet fens

Associated Species:

Pinus banksiana, Picea glauca

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5T5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Polygonum polygaloides ssp. confertiflorum is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

15 – 120 cm

Roots:

often arising from proximal nodes; rhizomes often present

Stem:

annual or perennial, ascending to erect, simple or branched, glabrous, punctate-glandular

Leaves:

petiole 0.1 – 1 cm long, punctate-glandular; blade 4 – 10 cm long, 6 – 24 mm wide, lanceolate to ovate, face glabrous or scabrous, punctate-glandular, margin strigose; ocrea 9 – 18 mm long, chartaceous, base inflated, brown, punctate-glandular

Inflorescence:

usually terminal, erect, interrupted, to 10 cm long, flowers 2 – 6 per ocreole; peduncle 3 – 6 cm long, glabrous, punctate-glandular; ocreoleae not usually overlapping

Flowers:

tepals 5, 3.5 – 5 mm long, connate, greenish proximally, whitish distally, punctate-glandular; stamens 6 – 8, included, anthers pink or red

Fruits:

achene brownish-black

POLYGONUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Flowers solitary or in small axillary clusters or open racemes; leaves jointed at the base with the petiole, small; outer tepals may be keeled; ocrea often hyaline, 2-lobed	2
1 Flowers in spicate racemes; leaves not jointed at the base with the petiole, large; outer tepals may be winged or unwinged, but not keeled (except in P. cilinode and P. convolvulus); ocrea chartaceous	9

2 Inflorescence compact	3
2 Inflorescence a slender, open raceme	5

3 Achenes black, smooth and shiny; tepals rounded	P. spergulariiforme
3 Achenes yellowish to dark brown, not shiny; tepals pointed	4

4 Bracts definitely white-margined; stems to 20 cm tall	P. polygaloides var. confertiflorum
4 Bracts only slightly white-margined, if at all; stems less than 20 cm	P. polygaloides var. kelloggii

5 Flowers on reflexed pedicels	P. douglasii ssp. douglasii
5 Flowers ascending or spreading	6

6 Achenes shiny; leaves linear to lanceolate	P. ramosissimum
6 Achenes dull; leaves oval	7

7 Perianth bottle-shaped, outer tepal hooded	P. achoreum
7 Perianth not constricted below the apex, outer tepal not hooded	8

8 Leaves on the branches the same size as the ones attached directly to the stem; calyx with greenish-white or pink margins	P. arenastrum (= P. aviculare ssp. depressum)
8 Leaves on the branches much smaller than the ones attached directly to the stem; calyx with white, pink or purple margins	P. aviculare

9 Stems slender and twining; leaves broad, base hastate	10
9 Stems not twining; leaves linear to lanceolate, base not hastate	12

10 Ocrea with a ring of bristles	P. cilinode (= Fallopia cilinodes)
10 Ocrea lacking bristles	11

11 Fruiting calyx to 5 mm long, wings small; plants annual	P. convolvulus var. convolvulus (= Fallopia convolvulus)
11 Fruiting calyx to 1.5 cm long, wings broad; plants perennial	P. scandens var. scandens (= Fallopia scandens)

12 Leaves mainly basal, cauline leaves few and reduced	P. viviparum (= Bistorta vivipara)
12 Leaves mainly cauline, well-developed	13

13 Ocrea with bristles at the summit	14
13 Ocrea without bristles	15

14 Rhizomes forking; perennials; ocrea expanded at the top to create a flange; spikes to 2 cm thick; perianth not glandular	P. amphibium var. stipulaceum (= Persicaria amphibia)
14 Roots fibrous; ocrea not expanded at the top; spikes slender, less than 2 cm thick; perianth glandular	P. punctatum var. confertiflorum (= Persicaria punctata)

15 Annuals, terrestrial; roots fibrous; spikes terminal and axillary, numerous	P. lapathifolium var. lapathifolium (= Persicaria lapathifolia)
15 Perennials, often aquatic; rhizomes forking; spikes terminal, solitary or paired	16

16 Petioles attached near base of ocrea; leaves and upper stems glabrous to sparsely strigose	P. coccineum var. coccineum (= Persicaria amphibia)
16 Petioles attached midway on ocrea; leaves and upper stems densely ashy-gray pubescent	P. coccineum var. pratincola (= Persicaria amphibia)