Polygonaceae
Bistorta

Bistorta affinis (D.Don) Greene

First published in Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 21 (1904)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Afghanistan to Himalaya. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the subalpine or subarctic biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Afghanistan, East Himalaya, Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, West Himalaya

Introduced into:

Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (1983). Flora of Bhutan 1(1): 1-186. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
  • Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 2: 865-1712. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.
  • Jonsell, B. (ed.) (2000). Flora Nordica 1: 1-344. The Bergius Foundaton.
  • Mehboob-ur-Rahman (2012). Wild plants of Swat, Pakistan 1: 1-281. Department of botany, govt. Jehanzeb post graduate college.
  • Qaiser, M. (2001). Flora of Pakistan 205: 1-190. Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi.
  • Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2021). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 3: 1-331. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.

An alternative taxonomy had been proposed by the following authorities:

  • Akeroyd, J.R. (2013). Docks and Knotweeds of Britain and Ireland: 1-258. Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. [Cited as Persicaria affinis.]
  • Govaerts, R. (2001). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS E-F: 1-50919. [Cited as Persicaria affinis.]

Kew Species Profiles

  • Hooker, J.D. (1880). Polygonum affine. Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. 106: tab. 6472.
  • Lancaster, R. (1995). A Plantsman in Nepal. Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk.
  • Lloyd, P.S. & Lloyd, S. (1968). A study of the autecology of Polygonum affine D. Don in the Karakoram Mountains. Journal of Ecology 56: 723-738.
  • Navchoo, I.A. & Buth, G.M. (1992). Ethnobotany of Ladakh – J. & K. State. In: Ethnobotany in India (Journal of Economic. Taxonomi. Botany. Additional. Series 10), eds J. K. Maheshwari, G. Kunkel, M. M. Bhandari & J. A. Duke, pp. 251-258. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur.
  • Polunin, O. & Stainton, A. (1984). Flowers of the Himalaya. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.
  • Tandon, A., Verma, D.L. & Khetwal, K.S. (1991). Flavone C-glycosides from the inflorescence of Polygonum affine. Fitoterapia 62: 185.
  • The Plant List (2010). Persicaria affinis.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (1983). Flora of Bhutan 1(1): 1-186. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
  • Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 2: 865-1712. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.
  • Jonsell, B. (ed.) (2000). Flora Nordica 1: 1-344. The Bergius Foundaton.
  • Rechinger, K.H. & Schiman-Czeika, H. (1968). Flora Iranica 56: 1-88. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2003). Flora of China 5: 1-505. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 1988 Blinkworth, R. [1692] India K000831197 Unknown Type Material Yes
Jan 1, 1988 Edgeworth, M.P. [14] India K000831193 Unknown Type Material Yes
Jan 1, 1988 Wallich, N. [1692] India K000831195 Unknown Type Material Yes
Jan 1, 1988 Wallich, N. [1692] China K000831194 Unknown Type Material Yes
Jan 1, 1988 s.coll. [1692] China K000831192 Unknown Type Material Yes
Jan 1, 1988 Madden, E. [s.n.] India K000831191 Unknown Type Material Yes
Jan 1, 1988 Strachey, R. [s.n.] India K000831196 Unknown Type Material Yes
Maroof Shah [2003] Pakistan K001572011 No
Gerard, P. [Cat. no. 1683] India Polygonum affine K001113850 Unknown Type Material Yes
Wallich, N. [Cat. no. 1683] Nepal Polygonum affine K001113851 Unknown Type Material Yes
Blinkworth, R. [Cat. no. 1683] India Polygonum affine K001113849 Unknown Type Material Yes
Wallich, N. [Cat. no. 1683] Nepal Polygonum affine K001113848 Unknown Type Material Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Kew Species Profiles

    • Kew Species Profiles
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0