Redshank - Persicaria maculosa

Short to medium, erect to sprawling, hairless, branched plant. Leaves lanceolate, tapered at the base, often with a large blackish blotch. Flowers crowded in stout, short spikes, pale to bright pink.

The flowers look similar to Amphibious Bistort and paler forms also resemble Pale persicaria

No glands (or few) on flower and flower-stem, which is usually glabrous; veins of outer tepals undivided or divided with with forward directed branches. Dark blotch on leaf can be seen on P lapathifolia as well. Leaves lanceolate

Photo showing flower and flower stalk without glands

Waste, bare or cultivated land, often close to water.

June to October.

Annual.

Widespread and common in Britain.

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 569 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current Checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Native, Locally Frequent