Persicaria hydropiperoides

Marshpepper smartweed is an introduced Eurasian species that is found in the southwestern and south-central part of the province.

General:
Annual (occasionally perennial) herb from fibrous root; stems ascending to erect, several, simple to branched, tending to root at the nodes, more or less finely pitted or gland-dotted, peppery-tasting, 20-100 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, sparsely hairy to smooth, the blades 3-7 cm long, somewhat reduced upward, the stalks short; stipules oblique, up to 15 mm long, usually sparsely hairy and fringed with bristly hairs at the top.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of axillary and terminal, spikelike, scarcely interrupted, drooping racemes, 2-7 cm long; perianths 2.5-4 mm long, glandular-dotted, greenish with white (pink) margins, usually 4-lobed about 2/3 the distance to the base; stamens usually six.

Fruits:
Achenes, lens-shaped or 3-angled, brown, finely glandular-dotted, dull, 2.5-3 mm long.

Notes:
Closely related to P. punctatum.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Polygonum hydropiper L.