Polygonum fowleri

Plants green, sometimes purple tinged, homophyllous or heterophyllous, sometimes subsucculent. Stems prostrate to ascending, sometimes zigzagged, branched from base, not wiry, 5–50 cm. Leaves: ocrea 2.5–12 mm, proximal part funnelform, distal part soon disintegrating, nearly completely deciduous or fibers persistent; petiole 2–7 mm; blade light green, sometimes purple tinged, elliptic to elliptic-obovate or obovate, 8–30(–50) × 4–15(–25) mm, margins flat, apex acute to obtuse; middle stem leaves 1.1–2.1(–3.4) times as long as adjacent branch leaves, distal leaves overtopping flowers. Inflorescences axillary; cymes uniformly distributed, 1–7(–10)-flowered. Pedicels enclosed in or sometimes exserted from ocreae, 1–2.5 mm. Flowers closed; perianth (2.2–)2.5–4.5 mm; tube 23–38% of perianth length; tepals initially overlapping, pushed apart as achene develops, green, margins white to pink, petaloid, not keeled, oblong, cucullate; midveins branched, sometimes not visible; stamens 6–8. Achenes exserted from perianth, brown to dark brown, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (2–)3-gonous, (1.8–)2–3.7(–4.5) mm, faces subequal or unequal, flat to concave, apex beaked, edges strongly concave, shiny to dull, roughened, rarely obscurely tubercled; late-season achenes common, 4–6 mm.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

n North America.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Polygonum fowleri subsp. fowleri, Polygonum fowleri subsp. hudsonianum

Key

1	Achenes broadly ovate, (2.5-)3-3.7(-4.5) mm; perianth 3-4.5 mm	Polygonum fowleri subsp. fowleri
1	Achenes ovate-lanceolate, (1.8-)2-2.5 (-3.1) mm; perianth (2.2-)2.5-3.3(-3.5) mm	Polygonum fowleri subsp. hudsonianum