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Persicaria amphibia (L.) Delarbre

Amphibious bistort (en), Renouée amphibie (fr), Persicaire amphibie (fr), Persicaire flottante (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Polygonaceae > Persicaria

Characteristics

Robust, erect, spreading, perennial herb, hydrophyte or helophyte, ± 0.6 m high, up to 3 m long floating in water; rhizomes slender; stems creeping, greenish brown, rooting at nodes. Ocreae tubular, membranous, up to 22 mm long, glabrous, entire, not ciliate. Leaves slender stalked, oblong, up to 140 x 50 mm, apex rounded or acute. Inflorescence a short, terminal, erect, dense thyrse, total length up to 75 mm, usually simple. Bracts inconspicuous, membranous. Flowers mostly single. Perianth 5-lobed, red to deep pink. Stamens 5, exserted. Ovary lenticular. Flowering time Sept.-May. Fruit a circular in outline, dark brown, shiny nut.
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A herb which keeps growing from year to year. The stems trail from the base and root at the nodes. In water the stems are hollow which can be 1 m long. The leaves are sword shape and emerge from the water. They clasp the stem. The leaves are more round when floating. The long leaf stalks emerge from a papery sheath. The leaves are dark green and glossy. They taper to a blunt tip and have dark markings near the tip. The flowers are in neat pink spikes.
Perennial herb. Leaves floating; petiolate; blade narrowly ovate, base cordate or rounded, apex acute; glabrous; petioles > 5 mm long. Ocrea without a spreading herbaceous limb; without a fringe of bristles. Flowers: perianth red to deep pink; Sep.-May. Fruit a biconvex nut.
Perennial herb. Leaves broadly elliptic, floating, lamina base rounded, petiole longer than 5 mm. Nut lenticular. Flowers red to deep pink.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support aquatic free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread hydrochory
Mature width (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.5
Root system creeping-root rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) 0.1
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Lakes, ponds, slow-flowing rivers and canals, also on banks by the river. In ponds, along riverbanks, wet fields, waste areas; at elevations from sea level to 3,700 metres.
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It is a temperate plant. It can grow in or near water. It suits slow moving water.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 7-11
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-8

Usage

The fruit are used as a substitute for pepper. The leaves are cooked as a vegetable dish.
Uses environmental use medicinal
Edible leaves roots seeds shoots
Therapeutic use Hunting Medicine (flower), Antidiarrheal (leaf), Pediatric Aid (leaf), Oral Aid (root), Panacea (root), Cold Remedy (root), Gynecological Aid (root), Unspecified (root), Analgesic (unspecified), Gastrointestinal Aid (unspecified), Hunting Medicine (unspecified), Aphrodisiac (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Depurative (unspecified), Detersive (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Refrigerant (unspecified), Salt (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -25
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Persicaria amphibia habit picture by Petr Harant (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Persicaria amphibia leaf picture by Dieter Jung (cc-by-sa)
Persicaria amphibia leaf picture by Kat (cc-by-sa)
Persicaria amphibia leaf picture by Marcel Schol (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Persicaria amphibia flower picture by Kat (cc-by-sa)
Persicaria amphibia flower picture by Síne McEllin (cc-by-sa)
Persicaria amphibia flower picture by Halbe Marianne (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Persicaria amphibia world distribution map, present in Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Bhutan, Canada, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Morocco, Mexico, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Pakistan, Poland, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and South Africa

Conservation status

Persicaria amphibia threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30193627-2
WFO ID wfo-0000488056
COL ID 4F9Q3
BDTFX ID 48315
INPN ID 112726
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Polygonum salicifolium Chulusium amphibium Polygonum amphibium Chulusium fluitans Chulusium natans Persicaria coccinea Persicaria hartwrightii Persicaria amphibia Persicaria muhlenbergii Polygonum coccineum Polygonum hartwrightii Polygonum muhlenbergii Polygonum emersum Persicaria amurensis Polygonum rigidulum Polygonum natans Polygonum amphibium var. emersum Polygonum amphibium var. stipulaceum Polygonum amphibium subsp. laevimarginatum Polygonum coccineum var. pratincola Polygonum coccineum var. rigidulum Persicaria amphibia var. emersa Polygonum amphibium var. amurense Polygonum amphibium var. vestitum Persicaria amphibia var. stipulacea Polygonum amphibium var. terrestre Polygonum amphibium var. muehlenbergii Persicaria amphibia var. terrestris Persicaria amphibia

Lower taxons

Persicaria amphibia var. natans
WorldFloraDB 2024