Bistorta amplexicaulis

Bistorta amplexicaulis (synonym Persicaria amplexicaulis), the red bistort^[2] or mountain fleece, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae, native to China, the Himalayas, and Pakistan. It is a damp-loving herbaceous perennial growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall and wide, with heart-shaped pointed leaves, downy beneath, and narrow spikes of rose-red or white flowers in summer.^[3][4]

Bistorta amplexicaulis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Bistorta
Species:	B. amplexicaulis
Binomial name
Bistorta amplexicaulis (D. Don) Greene[1]
Synonyms[1]
Bistorta henryi Yonek. & H.Ohashi Bistorta oxyphylla (Wall. ex Meisn.) Greene Bistorta petiolata (D.Don) Petrov Bistorta speciosa Greene Persicaria amplexicaulis (D.Don) Ronse Decr. Polygonum amplexicaule D.Don Polygonum oxyphyllum Wall. ex Meisn. Polygonum petiolatum D.Don

Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, including 'Firetail'.^[5]

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet amplexicaulis means "clasping or embracing the stem", and refers to the leaves' habit of growing around the stem.^[6]