Bistorta bistortoides (Pursh) Small
American bistort
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
American bistort
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a short, thick rhizome; stems erect, solitary to several, simple, 20-70 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lanceolate-oblong or oblanceolate, smooth on both sides or slightly hairy below, the blades 5-20 cm long, the stalks long; stem leaves alternate, few, reduced upward, all but the lowest unstalked; stipules brownish, oblique, not ragged, 3-6 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a solitary, terminal, spike-like, many-flowered raceme, 1-5 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide; perianths 4-5 mm long, white to pinkish, 5-lobed nearly to the base.
Fruits:
Achenes, 3-angled, yellowish-brown, smooth, shiny, 3.5-4 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Bistorta bistortoides
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1780 | 604 | 2480 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
21 | 0 | 70 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
130 | 2 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
3 | 1 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
36 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IMA | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
AT(2), BAFA(5), BWBS(1), ESSF(5), ICH(1), IMA(7), MH(5), SWB(7) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist to mesic meadows in the subalpine and alpine zones; infrequent in S BC; E to SW AB and S to MT, NM and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Polygonum bistortoides Pursh