About Persicaria lapathifolia (L.) Gray
Persicaria lapathifolia (L.) Gray is an annual herb. It has erect, reddish stems with swollen joints, and reaches a height of 20 to 80 cm (8 to 31 in). Its leaves grow in an alternating arrangement with short stalks, and are often densely hairy on their undersides. The leaf blades are typically lanceolate or narrowly elliptical with smooth entire margins, and often have a dark-colored blotch at their center. At the base of each leaf, stipules are fused together to form a sheath that encloses the stem; this sheath is loose, and has few to no hairs along its fringed upper edge. The plant's inflorescence is a dense spike, which often nods. Each tiny pink flower has a perianth made of four or five lobes that are fused near the base. It has six stamens, two partially fused carpels, and two styles. The fruit produced is a rounded, flattened nut. In northern temperate regions, this plant flowers from July to September. Persicaria lapathifolia occurs across many parts of both the Old World and New World. As this species is morphologically variable, many varietal and sub-specific names have been created for it. It grows on sea shores, and on disturbed ground including arable land, gardens, waste ground, rubbish tips, and road verges.
