Bistorta vivipara

Last updated

Alpine bistort
Bistorta vivipara LC0318.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Bistorta
Species:
B. vivipara
Binomial name
Bistorta vivipara
(L.) Delarbre
Synonyms [1]
  • Bistorta americanaRaf.
  • Bistorta bulbifera(Royle ex Bab.) Greene
  • Bistorta insularisSoják
  • Bistorta littoralisGreene
  • Bistorta macounii(Small ex Macoun) Greene
  • Bistorta ophioglossaGreene
  • Bistorta scopulinaGreene
  • Persicaria americana(Meisn.) Ohki
  • Persicaria viviparaL.) Ronse Decr.
  • Polygonum bulbiferumRoyle ex Bab.
  • Polygonum fugaxSmall
  • Polygonum littorale(Greene) Fedde
  • Polygonum macouniiSmall ex Macoun
  • Polygonum sagittatum var. americanumMeisn.
  • Polygonum scopulinum(Greene) Fedde
  • Polygonum viviparumL.

Bistorta vivipara (synonym Persicaria vivipara) is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae, commonly known as alpine bistort. Scientific synonyms include Bistorta vivipara and Polygonum viviparum. It is common all over the high Arctic through Europe, North America, incl. Greenland, and temperate and tropical Asia. [2] Its range stretches further south in high mountainous areas such as the Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Caucasus, Alaska and the Tibetan Plateau.

Contents

Taxonomy

Molecular phylogenetic work has demonstrated that the genus Bistorta represents a distinct lineage within the family Polygonaceae. [3] The genus Bistorta contains at least 42 accepted species. [4]

Description

Alpine bistort flower detail Knotweed2.jpg
Alpine bistort flower detail

Alpine bistort is a perennial herb that grows to 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) tall. It has a thick rhizomatous rootstock and an erect, unbranched, hairless stem. The leaves are hairless on the upper surfaces, but hairy and greyish-green below. The basal ones are longish-elliptical with long stalks and rounded bases; the upper ones are few and are linear and stalkless. The tiny flowers are white or pink in the upper part of the spike with five perianth segments, eight stamens with purple anthers and three fused carpels. The lower ones are replaced by bulbils. Flowers rarely produce viable seeds and reproduction is normally by the bulbils, which are small bulb-like structures that develop in the axils of the leaves and may develop into new plants. Very often, a small leaf develops when the bulbil is still attached to the mother plant. [5] The bulbils are rich in starch and are a preferred food for rock ptarmigans (Lagopus mutus) [6] and reindeer; they are also occasionally used by Arctic peoples. Alpine bistort flowers in June and July. [5]

Habitat

Alpine bistort grows in many different plant communities, very often in abundance. Typical habitats include moist short grassland, yards, the edges of tracks, and nutrient-rich fens. [5]

As with many other alpine plants, Alpine bistort is slow-growing and produces embryonic buds one year that grow and open a few years after their formation (flower preformation), [7] with an individual leaf or inflorescence taking three to four years to reach maturity from the time the buds are formed. [8]

Mycorrhiza

Alpine bistort has been shown to form an ectomycorrhizal root symbiosis with fungi. [9]

Uses

The bulbils can be stripped from the lower flower stalks and eaten raw. [10] The young roots are edible raw, while older ones must be cooked. [10] The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. [10]

The roots are eaten in Russia, especially by the Samoyed peoples. [11]

In place names

The Kokolik River in Alaska is named after Qaqalik, the Inuit name for alpine bistort. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polygonaceae</span> Knotweed family of flowering plants

The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum, and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name may refer to the many swollen nodes the stems of some species have, being derived from Greek [poly meaning 'many' and gony meaning 'knee' or 'joint']. Alternatively, it may have a different origin, meaning 'many seeds'.

<i>Bistorta officinalis</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae

Bistorta officinalis, known as bistort, common bistort, European bistort or meadow bistort, is a species of flowering plant in the dock family Polygonaceae native to Europe and northern and western Asia. Other common names include snakeroot, snake-root, snakeweed and Easter-ledges.

<i>Persicaria</i> Genus of flowering plants in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae

Persicaria is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae. Plants of the genus are known commonly as knotweeds or smartweeds. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species occurring nearly worldwide. The genus was segregated from Polygonum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock ptarmigan</span> Species of bird

The rock ptarmigan is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in the UK. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the aqiggiq (ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ), and the official game bird for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In Japan, it is known as the raichō (雷鳥), which means "thunder bird". It is the official bird of Gifu, Nagano, and Toyama Prefectures and is a protected species nationwide. Unlike many arctic bird species, ptarmigan do not gain substantial mass to hibernate over winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-tailed ptarmigan</span> Species of bird

The white-tailed ptarmigan, also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern".

<i>Polygonum</i> Genus of flowering plants in the knotweed family Polygonaceae

Polygonum is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass. In the Middle English glossary of herbs Alphita, it was known as ars-smerte. There have been various opinions about how broadly the genus should be defined. For example, buckwheat has sometimes been included in the genus as Polygonum fagopyrum. Former genera such as Polygonella have been subsumed into Polygonum; other genera have been split off.

<i>Oxyria digyna</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxyria digyna is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). It is native to arctic regions and mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

<i>Persicaria lapathifolia</i> Species of plant

Persicaria lapathifolia, known as pale persicaria, is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. It is closely related to Persicaria maculosa and as such is considered a weed in Britain and Europe. Other common names for the plant include pale smartweed, curlytop knotweed, and willow weed. It is a species complex made up of a great many varying forms, sometimes considered varieties. The environment also has a strong influence on the morphology of an individual plant.

<i>Persicaria hydropiper</i> Species of plant

Persicaria hydropiper, also known as water pepper, marshpepper knotweed, arse smart or tade, is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. A widespread species, Persicaria hydropiper is found in Australia, New Zealand, temperate Asia, Europe and North America. The plant grows in damp places and shallow water. Cultivated varieties are eaten in East Asia for their pungent flavor.

<i>Ipomoea cairica</i> Species of vine

Ipomoea cairica is a vining, herbaceous, perennial plant with palmate leaves and large, showy white to lavender flowers. A species of morning glory, it has many common names, including mile-a-minute vine, Messina creeper, Cairo morning glory, coast morning glory and railroad creeper. The species name cairica translates to "from Cairo", the city where this species was first collected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulbil</span> Small young plant that grows from the parent plants stem

A bulbil is a small, young plant that is reproduced vegetatively from axillary buds on the parent plant's stem or in place of a flower on an inflorescence. These young plants are clones of the parent plant that produced them—they have identical genetic material. The formation of bulbils is a form of asexual reproduction, as they can eventually go on to form new stand-alone plants.

<i>Bistorta affinis</i> Species of plant

Bistorta affinis, the Himalayan bistort, fleece flower, or knotweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to the Himalayas.

<i>Polygonum aviculare</i> Species of plant

Polygonum aviculare or common knotgrass is a plant related to buckwheat and dock. It is also called prostrate knotweed, birdweed, pigweed and lowgrass. It is an annual found in fields and wasteland, with white flowers from June to October. It is widespread across many countries in temperate regions, apparently native to Eurasia, naturalized in temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

<i>Bistorta</i> Genus of flowering plants in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae

Bistorta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae. As of February 2019 about 40 species are accepted. It has been supported as a separate clade by molecular phylogenetic analysis. Bistorta species are native throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, as far south as Mexico in North America and Thailand in Asia.

<i>Bistorta bistortoides</i> Species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae

Bistorta bistortoides is a perennial herb in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. The species name remains unresolved.

Middle Side and Stonygill Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Teesdale district of County Durham, England. It consists of two separate areas, one to the north of the River Tees, the other on the south bank, about 2 km upstream from the village of Middleton-in-Teesdale. The Park End Wood and Middle Crossthwaite SSSIs lie on the same stretch of floodplain, the Teesdale Allotments SSSI is a short distance to the north, while the higher ground to the south of the river is part of the Upper Teesdale SSSI.

<i>Bistorta amplexicaulis</i> Species of flowering plant

Bistorta amplexicaulis, the red bistort or mountain fleece, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae, native to China, the Himalayas, and Pakistan. It is a damp-loving herbaceous perennial growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall and wide, with heart-shaped pointed leaves, downy beneath, and narrow spikes of rose-red or white flowers in summer.

<i>Persicaria minor</i> Species of plant

Persicaria minor is species of herb in the family Polygonaceae. Common names include pygmy smartweed, small water pepper and swamp willow weed. This herb is native to Asia, but distributed widely in Europe and Australia. It is used in South East Asian cooking.

<i>Remusatia vivipara</i> Species of herb

Remusatia vivipara also called hitchhiker elephant ear is a perennial herb growing up to 50 cm tall in the genus Remusatia. It is widespread throughout the world, growing in temperate climates.

Bistorta plumosa is a flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae, or buckwheat family. Common names for Bistorta Plumosa include meadow bistort. Bistorta plumosa is monoecious, with flowers containing both male and female reproductive parts that are pollinated by insects. Birstorta plumosa flowers annually in the summer months from May to June and can be found in habitats ranging from moist to dry sites and tundra in North America, Alaska, Yukon, the Northwest Territory, and East Asia.

References

  1. "Bistorta vivipara (L.) Delarbre". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  2. "Bistorta vivipara (L.) Delarbre". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  3. Sanchez A, Schuster TM, Kron KA (2009). "A large-scale phylogeny of Polygonaceae based on molecular data". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 170 (8): 1044–1055. doi:10.1086/605121. S2CID   84694521.
  4. "Bistorta". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  5. 1 2 3 "Alpine bistort: Bistorta vivipara". NatureGate. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  6. Moss R, Parkinson JA (1975). "The digestion of bulbils (Polygonum viviparum L.) and berries (Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Empetrum sp.) by captive ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)". British Journal of Nutrition. 33 (2): 197–206. doi: 10.1079/BJN19750024 . PMID   1167787.
  7. Körner, Christian (2021). "Alpine Plant Life". doi:10.1007/978-3-030-59538-8.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Diggle PK. (1997). "Extreme preformation in alpine Polygonum vivparum: an architectural and developmental analysis". American Journal of Botany. 84 (2): 154–169. doi:10.2307/2446077. JSTOR   2446077. PMID   21712195.
  9. Read DJ, Haselwandter K (1981). "Observations on the mycorrhizal status of some alpine plant communities". New Phytologist. 88 (2): 341–352. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1981.tb01729.x . Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. 1 2 3 Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 155. ISBN   978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC   244766414.
  11. Pieroni, Andrea (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 35. ISBN   0415927463.
  12. "Kokolik River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. January 1, 2000. Retrieved March 14, 2023.