Estimated achene production of smartweed at 1 plant m-1 cotton row was 63,000 and 25,000 achenes m-2 in 1998 and 2000, respectively. ditches along railroads and roadsides, and moist waste areas. sparsely distributed along their length. However, these species can invade protected wetlands and agricultural systems. Patients suffering from Rheumatism, Arthritis, Gout, Kidney Stones or Acid Reflux should strictly avoid taking this herb as it may worsen their condition due to the presence of Oxalic Acid. Cotyledons are narrow oval to lance-shaped with rounded tips. // --> , Pale Smartweed Dense stands provide cover for young waterfowl, marsh birds, and wintering pheasants. Leaves are alternate, lance-shaped with pointed tips and smooth margins, usually hairless and occasionally with a purple watermark. Some Native American tribes ate the young shoots in the springtime and used a tea of the roots to treat mouth sores and stomachaches. Smartweed has a long history of herbal use, both in Eastern and Western herbalism. will decline in abundance over time. Young leaves of the Pale Smartweed are ediable and parts of the plant used in treatment of fevers, stomach ailments and burns. Smartweed, also known as Polygonum hydropiperoides, is a plant that grows in low, wet environments throughout North and South America. if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav15n=MSFPpreload("_derived/milkweed.htm_cmp_network010_hbtn.gif"); MSFPnav15h=MSFPpreload("_derived/milkweed.htm_cmp_network010_hbtn_a.gif"); } if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav17n=MSFPpreload("_derived/purple_prairie_clover.htm_cmp_network010_hbtn.gif"); MSFPnav17h=MSFPpreload("_derived/purple_prairie_clover.htm_cmp_network010_hbtn_a.gif"); } ((navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") && Another difference is the size of the seeds: Pale Smartweed has seeds up to 2 mm. Illinois, USA. Nomenclature: Pale smartweed, Polygonum lapathifolium var. ]. species. common plant that occurs in most counties of Illinois (see Persicaria lapathifolia (syn. It also occurs in ditches, manure heaps, on river gravels and by ponds. both North America and Eurasia. // -->