OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Persicaria maculosa   FAMILY Polygonaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygonum persicaria   FAMILY Polygonaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Persicaria maculosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5 (2005)

Persicaria maculosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 063-04-014:

Polygonum persicaria   FAMILY Polygonaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Persicaria persicaria

 

COMMON NAME:
Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_pepe18_001_lvd

        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_pope3_003_lvd

        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970    swus_page_127

        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Keith Bradley    kab_p_maculosa_73082

March    Miami-Dade County    FL

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Keith Bradley    kab_p_maculosa_73089

March    Miami-Dade County    FL

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Keith Bradley    kab_p_maculosa_73102

March    Miami-Dade County    FL

Spikes of flowers upright, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Keith Bradley    kab_p_maculosa_73130

March    Miami-Dade County    FL

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

JK Marlow    jkm180828_4293

August    Jackson County    NC

Big Ridge Preserve

The tiny flowers are pale pink, but while in bud a much deeper pink, per www.first-nature.com.

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

JK Marlow    jkm180828_4296

August    Jackson County    NC

Big Ridge Preserve

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

JK Marlow    jkm180828_4298

August    Jackson County    NC

Big Ridge Preserve

Bristles of ocreae 0.2-1.3 (-2) mm long, per Weakley's Flora (2020).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE ocreae of Jumpseed and Smartweed species

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Dan Tenaglia, Missouriplants.com, Bugwood.org    bug_5350077

Month Unknown        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Dan Tenaglia, Missouriplants.com, Bugwood.org    bug_5350078

Month Unknown        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org    bug_5387577

Month Unknown        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org    bug_5387579

Month Unknown        

Leaf blade often with a triangular reddish blotch, per Weakley's Flora (2020).

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org    bug_5387580

Month Unknown        

Similar to P. longiseta, but bristles on the leaf node collars only 2mm long, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

D. Walters & C. Southwick, USDA APHIS ITP, Bugwood.org    bug_5459834

Month Unknown        

Achenes biconvex or triangular in cross-section, per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

D. Walters & C. Southwick, USDA APHIS ITP, Bugwood.org    bug_5459835

Month Unknown        

image of Persicaria maculosa, Spotted Lady's-thumb, Heart's-ease

D. Walters & C. Southwick, USDA APHIS ITP, Bugwood.org    bug_5459836

Month Unknown        

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Persicaria maculosa   FAMILY Polygonaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygonum persicaria   FAMILY Polygonaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Persicaria maculosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5
Persicaria maculosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 063-04-014:
Polygonum persicaria   FAMILY Polygonaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Persicaria persicaria

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

2460

Forb
Annual

Habitat: Disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora

Non-native: Eurasia

Common (uncommon GA Piedmont & GA Coastal Plain)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)


Invasive?

This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stems, petioles and leaves unarmed

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Pink
5-parted calyx
Petals absent
6 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual

Inflorescence spikelike, usually uninterrupted

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Black
Nutlet

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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