Editing Bistorta officinalis (section)

==Description==

''Bistorta officinalis'' is an [[herbaceous plant|herbaceous]] [[perennial plant|perennial]] growing to {{convert|20|to|80|cm|in|0}} tall by {{convert|90|cm|0|abbr=on}} wide. It has a thick, twisted rootstock which has probably given it its common name of snakeroot. The foliage is normally [[Basal (anatomy)|basal]] with a few smaller leaves produced near the lower end of the flowering stems. The leaves usually hairless; the basal ones are longish-oval with long winged stalks and rounded or heart-shaped bases; the upper ones are few and are triangular, tapered and stalkless. There are stipules at their base which are fused into a sheath surrounding the stem. The [[Petiole (botany)|petioles]] are broadly winged. The inflorescence is a spike. The plant blooms from late spring into autumn, producing tall, erect, unbranched, and hairless stems ending in single terminal [[racemes]] that are club-like spikes, {{convert|5|-|7|cm|0|abbr=on}} long, of rose-pink flowers.<ref name=RHSAZ>{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}</ref> The individual [[flower]]s are pink with five perianth segments, eight stamens, three fused carpels, and three free styles. The fruit is a glossy black nut. Flowering takes place in June and July.<ref name=NatureGate>{{cite web |url=http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en/kukkakasvit/bistort |title=Bistort: ''Bistorta officinalis'' |publisher=NatureGate |access-date=2013-12-30}}</ref> The plant grows in moist soils and under dry conditions goes dormant, losing its foliage until adequate moisture exists again.