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| Scientific name: | Bistorta vivipara (L.) Gray | |
| Synonym name: | Persicaria vivipara (L.) Ronse Decr., Polygonum viviparum L. | |
| Swedish name: | Ormrot | |
| German name: | Knöllchen-Knöterich, Lebendgebärender Knöterich, Otterwurz | |
| Nederlandse naam: | Knolduizendknoop, Levendbarende duizendknoop | |
| English name: | Alpine Bistort | |
| Family: | Polygonaceae, Knotweed family, Slideväxter |
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| Life form: | Clone forming, perennial forb. The ability to produce vegetative propagules or bulblets in its inflorescence enables this species to successfully propagate itself in an environment that may frequently be too harsh for sexual reproduction. | |
| Stem: | Height 10–30 cm, simple, erect, unbranched, glabrous, bears few leaves, terminates in a narrow, dense flowering spike | |
| Leaves: | Alternate, hairless above, hairy and greyish-green underneath. Basal leaves long-stalked, blade elliptic–lanceolate with rounded base; stem leaves stalkless or short-stalked | |
| Flowers: | The basal part of the dense 3-6 cm long inflorescence is characterized by the presence of bulblets rather than flowers. Upward the spike bears numerous small flowers with pinkish-white petals | |
| Flowering Period: | June, July, August | |
| Fruits: | Tiny 3-angled fruits | |
| Habitat: | Mountains |
Derivation of the botanical name: Bistorta, bis, "twice," and tortus, "twisted," thus twice-twisted, in reference to the double turn of the fruit. vivipara, Latin vivus "live," and parire "food" and means 'living food', which refers to the bulblets in the inflorescence. Polygonum, Greek polys, "many," and gonu, "knee or joint," hence "many joints" because of the thickened joints on the stem. Persicaria, the medieval name of a knotweed, from Persica, peach, alluding to the shape of the leaves.
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