Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Persicaria sagittata
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Arrowleaf Tearthumb at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygonum sagittatum
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5 (2005)
Persicaria sagittata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 063-04-018:
Polygonum sagittatum FAMILY Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Tracaulon sagittatum
COMMON NAME:
Arrowleaf Tearthumb, Arrowvine, Scratch-grass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_posa5_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_trsa4_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm140711_796
July Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Leaves narrowly arrow-shaped, 1-3" long, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977).
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JK Marlow jkm140711_796b
July Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Sharp backward-turned prickles on stems & midveins of leaf undersides, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
)
JK Marlow jkm090815_027b
August Greenville County SC
Beaverpond & adjacent land
Flowers have 5 [calyx] lobes and usually 8 stamens, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977).
)
JK Marlow jkm090815_049
August Greenville County SC
Beaverpond & adjacent land
Leaves petiolate, sagittate at base, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm140809_396
August Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
)
Gill Newberry gn09_p_persicaria_sagitta
September
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JK Marlow jkm060903_081
September Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Flowers usually 3-12 in capitate clusters, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm130913_300
September Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
)
JK Marlow s060903_i
September Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm0310d_23
October Greenville County SC
Roadside/creekside
Flowers white or pink in small rounded heads, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm0310e_31
October Jackson County NC
Roadside/creekside
)
JK Marlow jkm161013_923
October Greenville County SC
Cedar Falls Park
)
JK Marlow jkm231012_6013
October Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm231012_6016
October Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm231012_6020
October Greenville County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Persicaria sagittata
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygonum sagittatum
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5
Persicaria sagittata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 063-04-018:
Polygonum sagittatum
FAMILY
Polygonaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Tracaulon sagittatum
1125
Forb
Annual
Habitat: marshes, bogs, beaver impoundments, wet thickets, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stem, petioles, and major leaf veins (beneath) have abundant recurved prickles
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
White/Pink
5-parted calyx
Petals absent
8 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
Inflorescence capitate or paniclelike, uninterrupted
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Blackish-brown
Nutlet
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p472
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p402
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p207
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p003
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p064
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p293
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p032
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p248
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
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