Persicaria amphibia
 
Water Smartweed

Flower Top

Regina
18-August-2025

Flowers are either bisexual, such as this one, or functionally unisexual with some plants having only staminate flowers and other plants having only pistillate flowers. Bisexual flowers contain five tepals, five stamens and two styles.

A key to all species of family Polygonaceae that are found in Alberta, written by Lorna Allen and Linda Kershaw, is found here.  A key to Saskatchewan species of genus Persicaria, derived from the key in the Flora of North America, is found here.

Polygonaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this family. The answers do not all apply to all genera in Polygonaceae, but they all do apply to genus Persicaria.

herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

land plants; NOT [water plants]

plants not parasitic on trees

plants with more than one pair of leaves; NOT [plants with a single pair of large reniform leaves]

leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite]

stipules present

stipules forming a sheath above nodes

flowers perfect