Color, pale pink or white. Leaves, tapering, halberd-shaped, long, pointed, stalked. Petals, none. Calyx, 5-parted, green, with pink edges. Stamens, 8. Styles, 3. Flowers, few, in loose racemes. Summer and early fall.

Like a cat's fur, this plant must be stroked the right way - that is, downward. The stem is then as soft as satin. But run your finger upward, a thousand vicious little prickles stand up and scratch you. It is then a tear-thumb. By means of these prickles the plant climbs over every other herb and shrub which chances to be its neighbor.

Arrow-Leaved Tear-Thumb. P. Sagittktum

P. sagittktum has short - stalked, arrow - shaped leaves. The flowers - white, in little knots or buttons - are on the ends of the branches. The prickles on this species are rather more savage than in the other. Both are common in moist, low grounds.

Arrow-leaved tear-thumb (Polygonum sagittatum)