Spotted Ladysthumb
Polygonum persicaria
Observed in a well-watered flower bed in Glendale, Arizona, USA. May 2009.
ANNUAL HERB: Few, slender weakly branching stems rising to usu less than
1 meter. Desert plants tend to be less leafy and with small inflorescences.
LEAVES: Leaves are elyptic, mostly less than
10 cm. At the base of each leaf pair is a scarious sheath
enclosing the stem. The sheath has a few narrow, bristle-like projections.
RANGE: Generally a weed of urban gardens in the Sonoran Desert.
Sometimes grows naturally along riparian streams in the Sonoran Desert. Widely
distributed across North America having been introduced from Eurasia.
FRUIT: Dry, single-seeded capsules with three angles or flattened.
FLOWERS: Whitish-pink flowers are small in short spikes at top of plant.
Greenish bracts around flower may show hints of pink color.
UNARMED.