Polygonum maritimum L.

Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean region extending to northwards of Britain, North and South America.

Also reported by Munshi & Javeid, l.c. from Srinagar. Probably introduced as a weed.

Prostrate or sprawling perennial, with a thick woody rootstock, stem much branched, 5-30 (-40) cm long, longitudinally ribbed, glabrous, sometimes almost covered by the conspicuous, silvery ochreae. Leaves sessile or subsessile, 5-15 x 3-6 mm, lanceolate or oblanceolate, ± coriaceous, acute to somewhat obtuse, margin entire or strongly revolute. Ochreae bipartite, hyaline-silvery, sometimes brownish at the base, prominently veined, lanceolate, exceeding the internodes. Flowers solitary or in clusters of 2-4 in the axil of leaf like bract, white or whitish roseate, ochreolae conspicuous, glabrous; pedicel slender 2-3 mm long. Tepals 5, elliptic-ovoid, acute or obtuse, 2-3 x 1-2.0 mm. Stamens 5-7 (-8), filaments short, anthers dorsifixed. Ovary ellipsoid, trigonus, glabrous, c. 1.5 mm long. Styles 3, very short, equal or unequal. Nuts sharply trigonous, 2.5-3.5 x (1-) 1.5-2 mm, exserted, brown to dark brown, shining.

Distribution: Coasts of Europe, Mediterranean region, North Africa, N. America and Asia.

Polygonum glaucum Nult., Gen. Amer. Pl. 1: 254. 1813; Polygonum argenteum Ehrenb. ex Meisn. in DC., Prodr. 14: 88. 1856.