General:
Annual or occasionally perennial herb from a taproot; stems prostrate, ascending or sometimes erect, several, usually 3-angled, at least when young, usually branched, the main branches 10-80 cm tall/long.

Leaves:
Basal leaves narrowly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, pale or bluish-green, the blades 5-15 mm long, unstalked, jointed at the base; stem leaves alternate, stem and branch leaves usually similar, reduced upwards; sheathing stipules silvery, 4-6 mm long, ragged.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of 1-5 flowers in axillary clusters; perianths 2-3 mm long, green with pink or white margins, 5-lobed more than 1/2 the distance to the base.

Fruits:
Achenes, with one side concave and two sides convex, brown, dull, pimply in lines,1.6-2.2 mm long.

Notes:
Often mistaken for P. aviculare, a species having stem and branch leaves dissimilar.

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 aequale Lindm.
Polygonum aviculare var. arenastrum (Jord. ex Boreau) Rouy
Polygonum montereyense Brenckle