Persicaria punctata (Elliott) Small, Polygonaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Polygonum punctatum Elliott

Common name(s): [more details]

English: arse-smart, dotted smartweed, turkey-troop, water smartweed

French: piment-vache, renouée ponctuée

Spanish: ananash, barbasco, hierba del bicho, padilla, yerba caimán, yerba de sapo

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Rhizomatous perennial herbs; stems green or reddish below, ascending or sometimes decumbent toward base and rooting at the nodes, slightly swollen above the nodes, 3-10 dm long, unbranched or many-branched, glandular punctate.  Leaves lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 6-15 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, margins ciliate, petioles 0.3-1 cm long, ocreae cylindrical, 9-18 mm long, expanding with the nodes and eventually splitting sparsely strigillose and ± inconspicuously glandular punctate, apex truncate, long-ciliate, the bristles 1.5-6.5 mm long.  Flowers in open, erect or arching, distinctly interrupted racemes, these sometimes arranged in paniculate inflorescences 5-10 cm long, peduncles glandular punctate, each flower on a glandular punctate, jointed pedicel; tepals greenish white or nearly completely green, 2-2.5 mm long, glandular punctate with yellowish glands.  Nuts dark brown or black, trigonous or lenticular, 1.8-3 mm long, the surface glossy"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1064).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized along streambeds, wet areas, in running or standing water, and in disturbed wet forest, 5-1,900 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1064).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "North America to South America and the West Indies, widely naturalized" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1064).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1064) Voucher cited: Rock 3450 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1963) (voucher ID: BISH 63745) Taxon name on voucher: Persicaria punctata (Elliott) Small
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2004) (p. 16) East Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & F. Duvall H50216 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wood, K. R. (2006) (p. 19) Voucher cited: K. R. Wood & J. Espaniola 11110 (PTBG)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Persicaria punctata, please let us know.