Persicaria Mill., Gard. Dict. Arb., ed. 4, vol. 3. 1754; Hara in Hara et al., Enum. Fl. Pl. Nep. 3: 175. 1982; Grierson & Long, Fl. Bhutan 1(1): 159. 1983; Munshi & Javeid, Syst. Stud. Polyg. Kashm. Himal. 61. 1986; Hinds & Freeman, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org vol. 5; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org Pakistan V. 205; Polygonum L. Sect. Persicaria (Mill.) Meisn., Monogr. Polyg. 1826; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 34. 1890.

Erect, prostrate, ascending, annual to perennial herbs. Stem herbaceous, sometimes suffrutescent, simple or branched, glabrous or pubescent, rarely with recurved prickles. Leaves cauline, alternate; petiolate or sessile; leaf blade narrow, linear-lanceolate, or elliptic- ovate, mostly without glands, sometimes gland-dotted. Ochreae tubular, membranous, ciliate or eciliate at mouth, persistent or disintegrating with age, deciduous entirely or distally, usually tan, brown or reddish. Inflorescence terminal or terminal and axillary, spike, raceme, panicle or capitate; peduncle present or absent. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, sometimes functionally unisexual, hypogynous, 1-14 per ochreate fascicle. Perianth white, greenish white, pink, red or purple, campanulate or urceolate, glabrous, accrescent or non-accrescent. Tepals 4-5, connate 1/2-1/3 their length, petaloid, biseriate, outer mostly 2 larger than inner. Stamens 4-8, filaments free or connate basally, outer ones sometimes adnate to perianth tube, glabrous; anthers bithecous, elliptic to ovate. Carpels 2 or 3, syncarpous; ovary biconvex or trigonous; styles 2-3, erect, spreading or reflexed, free or connate; stigmas capitate. Achenes (nuts) biconvex or trigonous, glabrous, dark brown to black, shiny, not winged.

132 species

Persicaria barbata (L.) H. Hara, Fl. E. Himal. 70. 1966; Hara in Hara et al., Enum. Fl. Pl. Nep. 3: 175. 1982; Grierson & Long, Fl. Bhutan 1(1): 162. 1983; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org Pakistan V. 205; Pope et al., Fl. Zimbesiaca vol. 9, part 3. 2006; Polygonum barbatum L., Sp. Pl. 1: 362. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 37. 1890; Fl. China @eFloras.org 5: 288.

Annual herb. Stem 30-90 cm long, erect, sometimes decumbent, simple or branched, glabrous or pubescent, nodes swollen, often rooting at nodes. Leaves alternate; petiole short, 5-8 mm long, broad at base, glabrous; leaf blade lanceolate to elliptic, 5.5-10 cm x 1.5-2 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margin setose, midrib and veins mostly on both surfaces strigose, both surfaces glabrous or with short appressed hairs on abaxial surface, mostly brown patch in mid of adaxial surface. Ochrea tubular, 1-2 cm long, membranous, greenish when young and brownish when mature, mouth truncate and strongly ciliate, cilia 1 cm long to nearly equal to length of ochrea, surface strigose outside. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, slender, simple or branched pedunculate spiciform racemes forming panicles; racemes 2-5.5 cm long and peduncles 2-4.5 cm long, glabrous. Flowers pedicellate in fascicles of 1-5(-11) flowers surrounded by funnelform bract and ochreole; ochreole 1.5-3.5 mm, tubular, ciliate, cilia nearly equal to ochreole; pedicels ca. 2 mm long, articulate at apex at junction of perianth. Flowers ca. 3 mm long, actinomorphic, bisexual, hypogynous. Perianth greenish white, ca. 3 mm long; tepals 5, connate in lower 1/3 length, oblanceolate-obovate, biseriate, unequal, outer 2 larger than inner 3. Stamens 6-8; filaments free, 1-2.5 mm long, filiform, equal; anthers 0.25 mm in diameter, subglobose. Carpels 3, syncarpous; ovary ca. 1 mm long, trigonous, unilocular with one basal ovule; styles 3, 1-2.5 mm long, connate below nearly to middle; stigmas capitate. Nut brown to blackish, smooth, shiny, ca. 2 mm x 1.5 mm, conspicuously trigonous, usually with faces concave.

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