The genus Polygonum has recently been split into smaller genera and water smartweed was reclassified as Persicaria amphibia.. Waterfowl and raccoons (Procyon lotor) eat water smartweed seeds. is a short stout pedicel. Pale persicaria is sometimes troublesome on moist arable soils in good condition. The unique, pale pink flowers bloom most of the summer and into autumn. Lanceolate leaves, 7-20 cm long and somewhat hairy, grow from strongly swollen nodes. It is found throughout California to an elevation of 5000 feet (1500 m) and often follows human disturbance and is weedy on agricultural land and in other disturbed, moist places. together along the length of the raceme. Stems are usually unbranched and thicken to … will decline in abundance over time. Pale smartweed achene production was also described by the hyperbolic function. However, these species can invade protected wetlands and agricultural systems. sp. resolution photograph. Another difference is the size of the seeds: Pale Smartweed has seeds up to 2 mm. However, because the foliage is somewhat bitter and peppery, this if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav2n=MSFPpreload("_derived/up_cmp_network010_hbtn.gif"); MSFPnav2h=MSFPpreload("_derived/up_cmp_network010_hbtn_a.gif"); } The inflorescence is pale pink or white and nodding. Biology: A summer annual that grows from seed, or may produce shoots and roots at stem joints that lie in the water. Pale Smartweed is similar in In natural areas they can be a desirable component of the flora. The caterpillars of several species of moths also feed on smartweeds (see appearance to another large-sized smartweed, Persicaria pennsylvanica species is not often eaten by mammalian herbivores. It contains a pale green with red tint perianth on its uninterrupted inflorescences. // -->