Persicaria sinuata (Royle ex Bab.) K. R. Rajbhandari & R. Joshi

Closely related to east Himalayan species Persicaria runcinata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) H. Gross and looks like a mini edition of the latter by having runcinate (pinnately lobed) leaves. However it can immediately be identified by its overall smaller size, obtuse tepals and almost glabrous peduncle which is sometimes hairy just below the head. In P. runcinata the tepals are acute and peduncle is hairy.

Prostrate, 15-45 cm long, glabrous, branched, annual herb. Stem slender, striate, brownish, or reddish, rooting at nodes. Leaves petiolate pinnately lobed, 0.8-4.5 (-5.0) x 0.75-2.0 cm, oblanceolate, obtuse, lobes 2-4, terminal lobe triangular, glabrous. Ochrea 0.5-1.25 x 0.25-0.75 cm, ovate, entire shortly ciliate, tubular. Inflorescence a compact terminal head, peduncle 1.8-5.0 cm long, glabrous or very sparsely hairy just below the head, head 5-7 mm in diameter. Ochreolae 0.15-0.4 cm long, tubular, entire. Flowers subsessile-pedicellate. Tepals 5, pink, biseriate, unequal, 1.25-1.5 x 0.75-1.0 mm, obovate, obtuse. Stamens 5-8, biseriate, exserted, filaments unequal; anthers basifixed. Ovary trigonous, obovate, with 3 styles, free up to 1/4 of the length, fused at the base, stigmas capitate. Nut trigonous, black, shining, glabrous, included within perianth, 1.5-2 x 1.5 mm.

Distribution: Kashmir to Kumaon and Garhwal.

Fl. Per.: August-September.

Grows on higher altitudes between 2500-3000 m near water coarses.

Polygonum sinuatum Royle ex Bab. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 18: 108. 1838; Meisn. in DC., Prodr. 14: 130. 1856; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 44. 1886; R.R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 209. 1972; Bhopal & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 1(2): 73. 1977.