Weed Information: Persicaria maculosa (ladysthumb)
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Persicaria maculosa (ladysthumb)

Family: Polygonaceae

Description

This species prefers wet soils and is often recognized by the prominent purple blotch (ladies thumbprint) in the middle of the leaf blade. Upper margin of the sheathing stipule with prominent cilia, however these sheaths (and particularly the upper ciliate margin) are often deciduous by maturity, making this a problematic characteristic for identification. In Common Weeds of Canada the photos on pages 26 and 27 are switched.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Red (or pink)
  • Green
  • White
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Axillary racemes
  • Axillary spikes
  • Terminal raceme
  • Terminal spike
Number of Petals
  • 0 (no petals)
  • 5 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United at base only (<25% length)
Petal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
  • 5 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United at base < 25% length
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Rounded
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 2 styles
  • 3 styles
Number of Stamens
  • 8 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 2 carpels
  • 3 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Superior (hypogynous)
Fruit Type
  • Achene
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Membranous, entire
  • Scarious
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole absent (leaf sessile)
  • Petiole < 25% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 5 - 10 mm (.20 - .40 inch)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Elliptic
  • Lanceolate
  • Oblong
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Entire
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)
  • Pubescent
  • Strigose
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Annual
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Spreading ascending
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
  • 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
  • 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Aquatic
  • Semi-aquatic
  • Seasonally saturated
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • West Virginia
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • North Dakota
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Alberta
  • Manitoba
  • Newfoundland
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon
Other
  • District of Columbia
  • St. Pierre and Miquelon
  • Labrador
  • Greenland

  • Aquatic and Riparian Plants of the West, 2003 (ISBN# 1-879906-59-7) See page: 314
  • Common Weeds of Canada, Mulligan 1987 (ISBN 0-910053-59-9) See page: 27
  • Common Weeds of the United States, 1971 (ISBN 0-486-20504-5) See page: 126
  • Common Weed Seedlings of the North Central States, 2001 North Central Regional Extension Publication # 607 See page: 10
  • Common Weed Seedlings of the United States and Canada, 1978 Coop Ext. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, See page: 26
  • Field Guide To The Common Weeds Of Kansas, 1983 (ISBN 0-7006-0233-X) See page: 31
  • Gilkey`s Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, 1980 (ISBN 0-88246-039-0) See page: 75
  • How to Know the Weeds, 1972, (ISBN# 0-697-04880-2) See page: 58
  • Identification Guide to the Weeds of Quebec, 1999 (ISBN# 2-89457-174-7) See page: 130
  • Manual of Ohio Weeds, 1931 Ohio Ag. Exp. Station Bull. # 475, See page: 60
  • Northwest Weeds, 1990 (ISBN 0-87842-249-8) See page: 31
  • Ontario Weeds, 1992 Agdex 640, Publication #505 See page: 54
  • Representative Missouri Weeds and Their Control, 1941 Univ. of Missouri Ag. Exp Station Bulletin #433, See page: 71
  • Selected Weeds of Oregon, 1985 and 1989 Supplement (s) Oregon State Dept. of Agriculture, See page: 20
  • Some Important Michigan Weeds, 1951 Mich. Ag. Exp. Station Bulletin #304, See page: 79
  • Some Weedy Plants of North Carolina, 1955 North Carolina Ag. Ext. Circular # 390, See page: 17
  • South Dakota Weeds, 1967 South Dakota State University, See page: 76
  • South Dakota Weeds 2002 South Dakota Dept. of Ag. 523 E. Capitol, Foss Bldg. Pierre, South Dakota 57501 See page: 71
  • S.W.S.S. Weed ID Guide, 1993 Section Number and Five letter code: 6 POLPE
  • Weed Seeds of the Great Plains, 1993 University of Kansas# 92-125-B ISBN# 0-7006-0651-3 See index #: 41
  • Weeds, 1955 (1980) Walter Conrad Muenscher, ISBN# 0-8014-1266-8 See page: 168, 170
  • Weeds, A Golden Guide, 1972 ISBN#0-307-24353-2 See page: 41, 42
  • Weeds and Poisonous Plants of Wyoming and Utah 1987 (ISBN 0-941570-06-1) See page: 14
  • Weeds of California, 1970, State of California Publications and Documents. See page: 137
  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 1319
  • Weeds of Canada, 1970 Canada Dept. of Ag., Pub. # 948, See page: 41
  • Weeds of Colorado, 1990 Cooperative Extension, Colorado State Univ. Bulletin 521A, See page: 56
  • Weeds of Eastern Washington and Adjacent Areas, 1972 (LOC 72-83635) See page: 78
  • Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains, 1994 (ISBN 0939870-00-4) See page: 481, 483
  • Weeds of Nova Scotia, 1986 (ISBN# 0-88871-063) See page: 48
  • Weeds of the Midwestern United States & Central Canada, University of Georgia 2010, ISBN#0-8203-3506-1 See page: 264
  • Weeds of the North Central States, 1981 Univ. of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign Bulletin # 772, See page: 52
  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1956, Univ. of Delaware Field Manual #1 See species #: 100
  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1997 Cornell University ISBN# 0-8014-8334-4 See page: 280
  • Weeds of the Northern United States and Canada, 1964 Montgomery See page: 31
  • Weeds of the Northern U.S, and Canada, 1999 Royer and Dickinson, (ISBN# 1-55105-221-0) See page: 91
  • Weeds of the South, University of Georgia 2009, ISBN#0-8203-3046-9 See page: 261
  • Weeds of the United States and Their Control, Lorenzi 1987, ISBN# 0-442-25884-4 See page: 109
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 510
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 507
  • Weeds of Utah, 1971 UAES Special Report 21, See page: 25
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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