Polygonum bistorta

Read about Polygonum bistorta in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
Polygonum bistorta, Linn. (BistOrta officinalis, Raf). Bistort. Snakeweed. Perennial, with a thick more or less spreading rootetock: st. simple, slender but strict, 1-2 ft.: lvs. mostly radical,oblong-ovate and obtuse, undulate, glaucous beneath; st.-lvs. nearly sessile, broad at base; stipules 1/2—3 in. long: fls. white or pink, in a single dense cylindrical or oblong spike an inch or two long; stamens exserted; styles 3. N. Eu. and N. Asia. —The astringent rootstock was once used medicinally, and has provided food in famine times. Var. superbum, Hort., is offered abroad, with conical heads of bright pink long-lasting fls. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.