Polygonella brachystachya Small. Common name: Florida October-flower. Phenology: Jul-Oct. Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, Florida scrub. Distribution: Endemic to c. and s. peninsular FL.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: P. brachystachya resembles var. croomii in its narrow leaves, but has the ocrea and ocreola tips short and acute (more like var. polygamum). Nesom & Bates (1984) asserted that "intermediates occur … that will have to be arbitrarily identified, but without recognition of the varieties an interesting pattern of variation is obscured". It appears that the taxa are valid biological species, and that confusion is only caused by herbarium identifications. Additional variation in P. brachystachya remains taxonomically unexplained and in need of study and resolution.

Synonymy ⓘ: = S, S13; = Polygonella polygama (Vent.) Engelm. & A.Gray var. brachystachya (Meisn.) Wunderlin — Fl4, FNA5, WH3, Nesom & Bates (1984), Wunderlin (1981); = Polygonum polygamum Vent. var. brachystachyum (Meisn.) T.M.Schust. & Reveal — K4. Basionym: Polygonella brachystachya Small 1856

Links to other floras: = Polygonella polygama var. brachystachya - FNA5

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Heliophily ⓘ: 9