Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Persicaria densiflora
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Dense-flower Smartweed at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Persicaria densiflora, the American component of the pantropical Persicaria glabra complex, seems to warrant recognition. Its distribution is unclear, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
(?) INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygonum glabrum
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Persicaria glabra
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5 (2005)
Persicaria glabra
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Polygonum densiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas (Correll & Johnston, 1970)
Persicaria densiflora
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 063-04-007:
Polygonum densiflorum FAMILY Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ILLEGITIMATE NAME) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Persicaria portoricensis
COMMON NAME:
Dense-flower Smartweed
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_pepo8_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_pode2_002_lvd
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_p_densiflora1
November Camden County NC
Leaf blades glabrous, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, cuneate, long-acute, per Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southeastern United States (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Persicaria densiflora
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
(?) INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygonum glabrum
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Persicaria glabra
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5
Persicaria glabra
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Polygonum densiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas (Correll & Johnston, 1970)
Persicaria densiflora
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 063-04-007:
Polygonum densiflorum
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ILLEGITIMATE NAME)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Persicaria portoricensis
3152
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: swamp forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in Coastal Plain, rare in Piedmont
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stems, petioles and leaves unarmed
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
Leaves have short petioles.
RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Rhizomatous
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Pale to deep pink
5-parted calyx
Petals absent
Superior ovary
Bisexual
Inflorescence spikelike
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Brown/Blackish
Nutlet
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006) p154
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p004
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p292
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".