Persicaria maculosa
Common names
willow weed, redshank
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Detailed description
Stems smooth sometimes hairy, much-branched, 15 to 90 cm tall. Leaves alternate, pointed at both ends, 2.5 to 15 cm long, with smooth edges and usually a dark spot in the middle. Sheath at base of the leaf fringed with short bristles (Wax, Fawcett and Isely 1981).
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Polygonaceae
Synonyms
Polygonum persicaria
Ecology
Year naturalised
1878
Origin
Temperate N. Hemisphere.
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds almost circular, flattened.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
persicaria: Medieval name referring to the likeness of the leaves to a peach tree
maculosa: From Latin ‘macula’ blotch, meaning full of blotches or mottled
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
PERMCL