Pale smartweed

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Pale smartweed inflorescence

Pale smartweed

Pale smartweed leaves

Pale smartweed leaf

Pale smartweed stem

Pale smartweed inflorescence

Pale smartweed

Pale smartweed

Pale smartweed ocrea

Pale smartweed leaves

Pale smartweed

Morphology

Stem

Ascending to erect, simple or branched, usually glabrous, sometimes glandular-punctate or stipitate-glandular above.

Leaves

Mostly cauline, alternate; ocrea brown, cylindric, 1/6 to 1 inch, papery, base inflated, margins truncate, eciliate or ciliate with bristles to 1/25 inch, surface glabrous, rarely strigose, eglandular; petiole to 6/10 inch; blade sometimes with dark triangular blotch on upper surface, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 1.5 to 8 inches long, 1/5 to 2.3 inches wide, base tapering to cuneate, margins rough, tip acuminate, surfaces strigose on main veins, lower surface glabrous or tomentose, upper surface glandular-punctate.

Inflorescence

Mostly terminal, sometimes also axillary, spike-like, mostly arching or nodding, usually uninterrupted, 1.2 to 3 inches long, 1/5 to 1/2 inch wide; peduncle .08 to 1 inch, often stipitate-glandular; ocreolae subtending clusters of flowers usually overlapping, margins eciliate or with minute bristles.

Flower

Pedicels ascending, less than 1/10 inch. Flowers 4-14 per fascicle; perianth greenish white to pink, glabrous, not glandular-punctate or glandular-punctate mostly on tube and inner tepals; tepals 4(-5), obovate to elliptic, ca. 1/10 inch, veins prominent, those of 2 or 3 outer tepals prominently 2-forked distally, anchor-shaped; stamens 5-6, included; styles 2(-3), deciduous, included.

Fruit

Achenes brown to black, discoid, .06 to .12 inch, shiny or dull, smooth; seeds 1.

Ecology

Habitat

Marsh mud flats, ponds and lakes shores, wet prairies, ditches, moist disturbed sites, and waste places.

Distribution

Statewide

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans took an infusion of the plant for fevers and stomachaches.

Additional Notes

Synonyms

Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.