Persicaria Maculosaia

Spotted Lady’s thumb

Polygonaceae Persicaria family

Redshank, Jesusplant, Herbe Traitesse, Devil’s arsewipe, Virgin Mary’s Pinch, and many more( ~40 total Names!)

Interesting Facts

* Viewer discretion is advised some of the lore mentions blood and violence* 

A very common name for this plant is Redshank. When searching Redshank a variety of things appear on the search page. One page when searching Redshank plant is a tree in California with a scientific name of Adenostoma sparsifolium. A start on the information on the tree can be found here. Redshank without the plant identifier pulls up information on a bird common in Eurasia, or the name for Scottish Mercenaries at the end of the 15th century.

This page focuses on the flower seen in the figures 1 and 3. There is even another flower that has the name Persicaria longiseta, that is an imposter. It looks almost identical to our article flower except for some minor differences. Persicaria longiseta, or Oriental Lady’s thumb can be seen in Figure 2, one of the most noted difference is that the Persicaria longiseta has 0.375 (3/8th) inch longer fringe around the

joints of the plant and that its stems turn a reddish color. For that reason, Persicaria Maculosaia will be referred to as Spotted Lady’s Thumb.

Animal and Bug Interaction

The flowers of the Spotted Lady’s Thumb attract various  of bugs such as, bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies. Grazing herbivores avoid the peppery leaves but might eat the flowers, while birds, rodents, and other wildlife enjoy the seeds.

Lore

The Spotted Lady’s Thumb is referred in Christian lore with the Virgin Mary and used in medicine relating to a variety of  problems. The name the Devil’s arsewipe is self explanatory. The Christian Lore of the Red shank can go back to Europe, in the 1880s a legend recorded in Oxfordshire. It gives an idea of why there is a brownish circle in the middle of the leaves relating to the Virgin Mary, you can look to Figure 3 for a look of the mark in the middle of the leaves. When the Virgin Mary needed the plant for an ointment, it could not be found. After she didn’t need it anymore, she found some. In her frustration she pinched its leaves and deemed it a weed. In some areas of Scotland, it has other names. Once can be ‘herb of the tree of crucifixion’, the lore says it grew at the bottom of Jesus’ cross as he was being crucified. While he bleeds some landed on the leaves as a blemish. The name Herbe Traitesse comes from the story of a woman who murdered her husband. She wiped the blood off her hands onto the leaves of the plant and leaving a stain. The stain lead to her detection.

Medicinal Information

Spotted Lady’s Thumb can be used against constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, common colds, headaches, venereal diseases, gout, and gynecological disorders. It can be applied to external wounds and injuries to slow bleeding. In folk medicine it is said to prevent gastric cancer.

This plant is a topical and internal anti-inflammatory, a gallbladder stimulant, anti-parasite, diuretic, and hemostatic.

Native Americans used the plant for stomach aches and poison ivy. The also rubbed it on horses to deter insects. This plant is edible and can be made into tea.

*Please consult a physician before ingestion as it contains substances that may interact with medicine one is already taking in a negative way.*

Description

Physical

Growing annually in thick bushes of around a meter tall with light green, thin and round stems. It has swollen joints where the leaves grow off the stem that support long clusters of pale pink flowers. The flowers have four to five petals that fuse together where the flower meets stem. The flowers don’t have any obvious scent to them. The stems hang like the flowers they are topped with are almost too heavy to support. The long and thin leaves often have a darker ovular spot in the middle and grow alternately from the stem. Both the stem and the leaves have short hair like fringe growing on them. They produce shiny black seeds, that have three ridges on its wide teardrop like shape.

Location

Spotted Lady’s Thumb is widely found in the northern part of North America, such as around the Great lakes and other northern lakes, across Europe and Asia.

Soil Requirements

The Spotted Lady’s Thumb prefers to grow in soils that are acidic and have a composition of mainly sand, silt, and clay. The roots have a thick and short main root then grow lots of thin fiber like ones off of it that grow closer to the surface to collect water and nutrients.

Weather Requirements

As a non-native plant to North America  the Spotted Lady’s Thumb flowers in Northern U.S. climates between July and September. Considered a weed in European countries it is a nearly threatened species.

Printable Brochure:

Lore and Medicine of Spotted Lady’s Thumb

Information derived from:

1. Redshank, red joints and lady’s thumb [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/redshank-red-joints-and-ladys-thumb/
2. Lady’s Thumb [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://www.ediblewildfood.com/ladys-thumb.aspx
3. Persicaria maculosa [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persicaria_maculosa
4. “Bug Woman” (01 July 2015) Wednesday Weed – Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved  2022 from: https://bugwomanlondon.com/2015/07/01/wednesday-weed-redshank/
5. Persicaria maculosa [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: http://mediplantepirus.med.uoi.gr/pharmacology_en/plant_details.php?id=312
6. Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/330108
7. (November 2007) Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/weeds/redshank
8. Persicaria maculosa (Lady’s-thumb) [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/ladys-thumb
9. Persicaria longiseta (Oriental Lady’s-thumb) [web log post.] Retrieved 2022 from: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/oriental-ladys-thumb