Taxon: Bistorta officinalis Delarbre

Summary

Genus:

Bistorta

Family:

Polygonaceae

Subfamily:

Polygonoideae

Tribe:

Persicarieae

Nomen number:

448786

Place of publication:

Fl. Auvergne ed. 2, 2:516. 1800

Verified:

08/29/2005 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

3 (1 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Polygonum bistorta L.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Persicaria bistorta (L.) Samp.
Persicaria bistorta (L.) Samp. subsp. bistorta

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Galasso, G. 2011. Review of Polygonaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Polygonum bistorta
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: = Polygonum bistorta
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	bistort		as Polygonum bistorta	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Polygonum bistorta
English	Easter-ledges		as Polygonum bistorta	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Polygonum bistorta
English	European bistorta			1	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
English	snakeweed		as Polygonum bistorta	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Polygonum bistorta
Chinese	quan shen	拳参	as Polygonum bistorta	2	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: = Polygonum bistorta
French	renouée bistorte			2	Galasso, G. 2011. Review of Polygonaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
French	serpentaire			2	Galasso, G. 2011. Review of Polygonaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
German	Schlangen-Wiesenknöterich			2	Galasso, G. 2011. Review of Polygonaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
Italian	bistorta			2	Galasso, G. 2011. Review of Polygonaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
Swedish	stor ormrot			2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation	Dagestan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Anhui Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hebei Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Heilongjiang Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Henan Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hubei Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hunan Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangsu Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangxi Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jilin Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Liaoning Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Nei Mongol Zizhiqu
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Ningxia Huizi Zizhiqu
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shaanxi Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shandong Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shanxi Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang Sheng
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Mongolia	Mongolia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia	Eastern Siberia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Western Siberia	Western Siberia
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iraq
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan		n.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Estonia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Latvia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Lithuania			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym	Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Netherlands			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Poland			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Slovakia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Montenegro			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	North Macedonia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized	Europe		Europe		natzd. elsewhere
4	Naturalized	Northern America		Canada			FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America		United States			FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.

Native
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Morocco

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Iran, Iraq, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia], Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia [Eastern Siberia]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan
MONGOLIA: Mongolia
CHINA: China [Anhui Sheng, Gansu Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Heilongjiang Sheng, Henan Sheng, Hubei Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Jiangsu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Jilin Sheng, Liaoning Sheng, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu, Ningxia Huizi Zizhiqu, Shaanxi Sheng, Shandong Sheng, Shanxi Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Japan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan (n.)

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Italy, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France, Portugal

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Europe

REGION: Europe (natzd. elsewhere)

Northern America

REGION: Canada, United States

Reference(s)

FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	as Polygonum bistorta	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: as Polygonum bistorta
Human food	vegetable		Galasso, G. 2011. Review of Polygonaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
Medicines	folklore	as Polygonum bistorta	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: as Polygonum bistorta
Medicines	folklore	as Polygonum bistorta	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition). Note: as Polygonum bistorta
Medicines	folklore	as Polygonum bistorta	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Polygonum bistorta

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=448786. Accessed 12 May 2026.