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Persicaria arifolia (Linnaeus) Haraldson. Section: Echinocaulon. Common name: Halberd-leaf Tearthumb. Phenology: Jul-Nov; Aug-Dec. Habitat: Marshes, wet thickets. Distribution: NS west to MN. south to se. GA, ne. FL (Slaughter 2014; Franck et al. 2016), w. NC, and w. TN.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Can, FNA5, K4, Mi, Mo3, NE, NY, Pa, Tn, Va; = Polygonum arifolium L. — C, GW2, RAB, Tat, W, WV, Horton (1972), Mitchell & Dean (1978), Park (1988); = Tracaulon arifolium (L.) Raf. — S, S13; = Truellum arifolium (L.) Soják; > Polygonum arifolium L. var. arifolium — F, G; > Polygonum arifolium L. var. pubescens (R.Keller) Fernald — F, G; > Tracaulon arifolium (L.) Raf. var. pubescens (Keller) Mohlenbr. — Il. Basionym: Polygonum arifolium L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Persicaria arifolia - FNA5

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
  • Great Plains: OBL
  • Midwest: OBL
  • Northcentral & Northeast: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 7

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image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jeffrey S. Pippen | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jeffrey S. Pippen | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jeffrey S. Pippen | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jeffrey S. Pippen | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Reclining-scrambling annual/perennial of marshes, tidal swamps, floodplain pools and wet thickets.

Stems: Stems branched, ridged, the angles with hooked prickles.

Leaves: Leaves alternate, petiolate with a prickled and hairy sheath (ocrea) where petiole joins stem, triangular with flaring basal lobes and sharp-pointed tip, 1-7 in. long, sparsely hairy above and with star-shaped hairs beneath.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in short racemes, the stalk prickly, at stem tops and from upper leaf axils (sometimes multiple racemes in a sparsely branched cluster); white to greenish or pink; less than 1/4 in. long; consisting of 5 oval to elliptic tepals.

Fruits: Fruit a broadly oval, brown achene.

Comments:

Height: 2-6 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Reclining-scrambling annual/perennial of marshes, tidal swamps, floodplain pools and wet thickets.

stems: Stems branched, ridged, the angles with hooked prickles.

leaves: Leaves alternate, petiolate with a prickled and hairy sheath (ocrea) where petiole joins stem, triangular with flaring basal lobes and sharp-pointed tip, 1-7 in. long, sparsely hairy above and with star-shaped hairs beneath.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in short racemes, the stalk prickly, at stem tops and from upper leaf axils (sometimes multiple racemes in a sparsely branched cluster); white to greenish or pink; less than 1/4 in. long; consisting of 5 oval to elliptic tepals.

fruits: Fruit a broadly oval, brown achene.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



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