Seasonal Wild Flowers

Pale Persicaria

Persicaria lapathifolia

Polygonaceae

June to September

It is found throughout the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for Pale Persicaria

It grows on bare ground on fields, waste land and bare

margins of lakes, ponds and streams.

It is quickly crowded out by competing plants.

Pale Persicaria is an annual, native, herb growing up

to 1m.

Flowers are in dense groups either in the axils of leaves

or in spikes.

Flowers are 2-3mm across with 5 petaloid greenish white

tepals.

There are 6 stamens (can be up to 8) with white

filaments and white anthers.

There is one white style, which is divided into 2.

Stigmas are white and capitate.

Leaves are lanceolate and up to 20cm. They don't

usually have the markings seen on the leaves of the

closely related Redshank.

Pale Persicaria in a damp meadow

Flower spikes

Close-up of flowers with 5 petaloid

tepals

6 stamens and 1 divided style

with 2 capitate stigmas

Lanceolate leaf

Mixture of Pale Persicaria with no leaf

markings and Redshank with markings