Persicaria wallichii Greuter & Burdet
Himalayan knotweed
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Himalayan knotweed
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from strongly creeping rhizomes; stems erect, numerous, branched, 1-2 m tall, reddish-brown.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, lanceolate, the blades up to 20 cm long, densely soft- hairy, the base rounded to somehat heart-shaped, often with 2 small lobes, the stalks short; stipules sheathing, entire.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a wide, diffuse panicle; perianth segments white, 3-5 mm long, not keeled on the back.
Fruits:
Apparently sterile in our range.
Habitat and Range
Mesic fields and waste places in the lowland zone; rare in extreme SW BC and the Queen Charlotte Islands; introduced from SC Asia.Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Aconogonum polystachyum
Polygonum polystachyum Wall. ex Meisn.
Taxonomic Notes
Persicaria wallichii is considered an emerging invasive species in the Vancouver region by the Greater Vancouver Invasive Plant Council (2009). An emerging invasive is defined by them as: currently found in isolated, sparse populations but are rapidly expanding their range within the region.
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