Montane. Edges of ponds. Summer.
Lake Haviland Trail, June 28, 2004.

Smartweed roots on land or at the edge of ponds and lakes in shallow water where it floats its leaves and flowers at the end of long stems.  According to the Flora of North America, the "land-adapted" plants and the "water-adapted" plants are now widely regarded as two distinct varieties.  The plant is found in almost all states and throughout Canada.

In 1753 Linnaeus named this plant Polygonum amphibium.  In 1821 Asa Gray renamed the plant Persicaria amphibia and it is this name that William Weber and The Flora of North America accept.  The Synthesis of the North American Flora, A Utah Flora, and the on-line USDA Plant Database accept Polygonum amphibium.

"Persica" is Latin for "Peach", "aria" means "pertaining to"; the name refers to the similarity of the leaves.

Montane. Edges of ponds. Summer.
Lake Haviland Trail, July 23, 2005.