| Alpine Bistort | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Polygonum |
| Species: | P. viviparum |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygonum viviparum L. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Persicaria vivipara |
|
Polygonum viviparum (syn. Polygonum viviparum, Persicaria vivipara), commonly known as Alpine Bistort, is common all over the high Arctic. It stretches further south in high mountainous areas like the Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Caucasus and the Tibetan Plateau.
It grows to 5-15 cm tall with a thick rootstock. The basal leaves are longish-elliptical with long stalks; upper ones are linear and stalkless. The flowers are white or pink in the upper part of the spike; lower ones are replaced by bulbils. Flowers rarely produce viable seeds and reproduction is normally by the bulbils. Very often a small leaf develops when the bulbil is still attached to the mother plant. The bulbils are rich in starch and are a preferred food for Rock Ptarmigan[1] and Reindeer; they are also occasionally used by Arctic people.
Alpine Bistort grows in many different plant communities, very often in abundance.
As with many other alpine plants, Alpine Bistort is slow growing, with an individual leaf or inflorescence taking 3-4 years to reach maturity from the time it is formed.[2]