Persicaria maculosa
Common name
willow weed
Synonyms
Polygonum persicaria
Family
Polygonaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
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.
POLPER
Features
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).
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Year naturalised
1878
Origin
Temperate N. Hemisphere.
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
Seed
Seeds almost circular, flattened