Species: Polygonum viviparum L.

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Polygonum viviparum L.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Polygonaceae

Genus:

Polygonum

Species Synonyms:

Bistorta vivipara (L.) S.F. Gray
Polygonum fugax Small
Polygonum macounii Small ex Macoun
Polygonum viviparum var. alpinum Wahlenb.
Polygonum viviparum var. macounii (Small ex Macoun) Hultén

Common Names:

alpine bistort

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon – Mackenzie – Arctic Island – Labrador, south to southern British Columbia – Alberta – northern and east-central Saskatchewan – northern Manitoba – northern Ontario – Ungava – eastern Quebec – Newfoundland, isolated at Lake Superior north shore

Saskatchewan:

northern to central Saskatchewan; Clearwater River – Hasbala Lake – Candle Lake – Pasquia Hills

Ecoregion:

Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Selwyn Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

pond margins, marshy shores, depressions in treed bogs and fens, and shrubby tundra meadows

Associated species:

black spruce, bog birch, bog blueberry, shrubby cinquefoil, tamarack, water sedge

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Alpine bistort is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is only somewhat regionally restricted most local populations are small. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

8 – 30 cm

Roots:

roots fibrous; rhizomes short, sometimes twisted, scaly

Stems:

solitary to 2, erect, simple, hairless

Leaves:

mostly basal, stem leaves 2 – 4; leaf stalk attached to sheath, unwinged distally, 5 – 100 mm long; blade 1 – 8 cm long, 5 – 15 mm long, linear to lance-shaped, base wedge-shaped to heart-shaped, hairy on lower surface, bluish on upper surface, margin entire and usually rolled under; fused stipules open down one side, brown, dry and membranous

Inflorescence:

unbranched, solitary, terminal, 2 – 9 cm long, 4 – 10 mm wide, spike-like, dense, usually with pink to brown bulblets; inflorescence stalk 1 – 5 cm long

Flowers:

tepals 2 – 4 mm long, greenish proximally, white or pink distally; stamens included or exserted, some may be poorly developed, anthers reddish to purple

Fruits:

fruits rarely produced, dark brown, dull

POLYGONUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Flowers solitary or in small axillary clusters; leaves jointed at the base with the stalk, small; outer tepals may be boat-shaped; fused stipules often dry and membranous, 2-lobed	2
1 Flowers in spike-like clusters; leaves not jointed at the base with the stalk, large; outer tepals may be winged or unwinged, but not boat-shaped (except in P. cilinode and P. convolvulus); fused stipules papery	9

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

3 Fruits black, smooth and shiny; tepals rounded	P. spergulariiforme
3 Fruits 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 stalks	P. douglasii ssp. douglasii
5 Flowers ascending or spreading	6

6 Fruits shiny; leaves linear to lance-shaped	P. ramosissimum
6 Fruits dull; leaves oval	7

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

8 Leaves on the branches the same size as the ones attached directly to the stem; sepals 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; sepals with white, pink or purple margins	P. aviculare

9 Stems slender and twining; leaves broad, base arrow-shaped	10
9 Stems not twining; leaves linear to lance-shaped, base not arrow-shaped	12

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

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

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

13 Fused stipules with bristles at the summit	14
13 Fused stipules without bristles	15

14 Rhizomes forking; perennials; fused stipules expanded at the top to create a rim; spikes to 2 cm thick; tepals not glandular	P. amphibium var. stipulaceum (= Persicaria amphibia)
14 Roots fibrous; fused stipules not expanded at the top; spikes slender, less than 2 cm thick; tepals 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 Leaf stalks attached near base of fused stipules; leaves and upper stems hairless to sparsely straight-hairy	P. coccineum var. coccineum (= Persicaria amphibia)
16 Leaf stalks attached midway on fused stipules; leaves and upper stems densely ashy-gray hairy	P. coccineum var. pratincola (= Persicaria amphibia)