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Polygonum is a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 in the buckwheat
Buckwheat

Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum....
 family Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae

Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants also known as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family". The name is based on the genus Polygonum....
. Common names of polygonum species include knotweed, knotgrass, bistort, tear-thumb, mile-a-minute, and several others. In the Middle English
Middle English

Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman conquest of England of 1066 and about 1470, when the #Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William...
 glossary
Glossary

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms. Traditionally, a glossary appears at the end of a book and includes terms within that book which are either newly introduced or at least uncommon....
 of herbs "Alphita" (ca. 1400-1425), it was known as ars-smerte. There have been various opinions about how broadly the genus should be defined. Buckwheat
Buckwheat

Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum....
 for example has sometimes been included in the genus.

The genus primarily grows in northern temperate
Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold....
 regions.






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Polygonum is a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 in the buckwheat
Buckwheat

Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum....
 family Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae

Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants also known as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family". The name is based on the genus Polygonum....
. Common names of polygonum species include knotweed, knotgrass, bistort, tear-thumb, mile-a-minute, and several others. In the Middle English
Middle English

Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman conquest of England of 1066 and about 1470, when the #Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William...
 glossary
Glossary

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms. Traditionally, a glossary appears at the end of a book and includes terms within that book which are either newly introduced or at least uncommon....
 of herbs "Alphita" (ca. 1400-1425), it was known as ars-smerte. There have been various opinions about how broadly the genus should be defined. Buckwheat
Buckwheat

Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum....
 for example has sometimes been included in the genus.

The genus primarily grows in northern temperate
Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold....
 regions. They vary widely from prostrate herbaceous
Herbaceous

A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaf and stem that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be Annual plant, Biennial plant or Perennial plant....
 annual plant
Annual plant

An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates flowers and dies in one year. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed....
s under 5 cm high, others erect herbaceous perennial plant
Perennial plant

A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants....
s growing to 3–4 m tall, and yet others perennial wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
y vine
Vine

A vine is any plant of genus Grape or, by extension, any similar climbing or trailing plant. The word, derived from Latin vinea, referred to the grape-bearing variety....
s growing to 20–30 m high in tree
TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
s; several are also aquatic, growing as floating plants in pond
Pond

A pond is a body of water smaller than a lake, both being examples of terrain feature. Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that are smaller than lakes, an internationally recognised size cutoff has not yet been agreed, with values ranging from 2 hectares to 8 hectares used to distinguish the smaller from...
s. The smooth-edged leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 vary greatly in shape between species, and can be narrow lanceolate, oval, broad triangular, heart shaped or arrowhead shaped; they range from 1–30 cm long. The stems are often reddish or red-speckled. The flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s are small, pink, white, or greenish, forming in summer in dense clusters from the leaf joints or stem apices.

The genus name is traditionally believed to be derived from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 poly, "many" and gonu, "knee" in reference to the swollen jointed stem nodes, but grammatically gone means "seed"

Polygonum species are used as food plants by the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Polygonum, a number are considered weedy, especially in moisture retentive soils in the USA.

Distribution and Uses


At least one species has been eaten during times of famine.

Species


Between 65–300 species are recognised depending on the circumscription of the genus; some botanists divide the genus up into several smaller genera, including Fagopyrum
Fagopyrum

The genus Fagopyrum in the flowering plant family Polygonaceae contains 15 to 16 species of plants, including two important crop plants, the Buckwheat or Japanese Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum, and the Tartary Buckwheat Fagopyrum tataricum....
, Fallopia
Fallopia

Fallopia is a genus of about 12?15 species of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae, often included in a wider treatment of the related genus Polygonum in the past....
 and Persicaria
Persicaria

Persicaria is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae, collectively known as smartweeds or pinkweeds. The genus was formerly included in the genus Polygonum....
.

The genus Polygonella
Polygonella

Polygonella is a genus of Family Polygonaceae . Members of this genus are sometimes called "jointweed," or "wireweed."...
 has a number of morphological similarities with Polygonum and some authors have included Polygonella in Polygonum.

Selected species include:
  • Polygonum achoreum
  • Polygonum acuminata
  • Polygonum acuminatum - tapertip smartweed
  • Polygonum arenarium
  • Polygonum arenastrum
    Polygonum arenastrum

    Polygonum arenastrum is a Annual plant weed that was introduced to the U.S from Europe. Known by many other names, such as mat grass, bird grass, stone grass, wiregrass, and door weed, as well as many others, Knotweed was first seen in North America in 1809 and is now seen throughout all of the United States....
     – small-leaved knotgrass
  • Polygonum argyrocoleon
  • Polygonum arifolium
  • Polygonum aviculare
    Polygonum aviculare

    Polygonum aviculare or Common Knotgrass is a plant related to buckwheat and dock . It is also called birdweed, pigweed and lowgrass....
     – common knotgrass
  • Polygonum bellardii
  • Polygonum bidwelliae
  • Polygonum bistortoides
    Polygonum bistortoides

    Polygonum bistortoides is a perennial herb in the genus Polygonum. It is distributed throughout the Mountain West in North America from Alaska and British Columbia south into California and east into the Rocky Mountains....
  • Polygonum bolanderi
  • Polygonum boreale
  • Polygonum brasiliensis
  • Polygonum bungeanum - Bunge's smartweed
  • Polygonum buxiforme
  • Polygonum caespitosum
  • Polygonum californicum – California knotweed
  • Polygonum careyi - Carey's smartweed
  • Polygonum cascadense
  • Polygonum caurianum
  • Polygonum chinense
  • Polygonum coccineum
    Polygonum coccineum

    Polygonum coccineum, commonly called Water Smartweed, is a perennial herb in the genus Polygonum....
  • Polygonum cognatum – Indian knotgrass
  • Polygonum davisiae
  • Polygonum densiflorum
  • Polygonum dibotrys
  • Polygonum douglasii – Douglas' knotweed
  • Polygonum erectum
    Polygonum erectum

    Polygonum erectum is an annual plant species with upright or ascending stems. It is a common weed in disturbed locations with dry soils in North Eastern USA were it is called Erect knotweed....
  • Polygonum flaccidum – (Meissn.)
  • Polygonum foliosum
  • Polygonum forrestii
  • Polygonum fowleri
  • Polygonum franktonii
  • Polygonum glaucum
  • Polygonum griffithii
  • Polygonum herniarioides
  • Polygonum heterosepalum – dwarf desert knotweed
  • Polygonum hickmanii
  • Polygonum hirsutum
  • Polygonum hongkongensis
  • Polygonum hudsonianum
  • Polygonum hydropiperoides - swamp smartweed
  • Polygonum lacerum
  • Polygonum lanigerum
  • Polygonum marinense
  • Polygonum maritimum – sea knotgrass
  • Polygonum meisneranum
  • Polygonum meisnerianum
  • Polygonum minimum – broadleaf knotweed
  • Polygonum multiflorum
    Polygonum multiflorum

    Polygonum multiflorum, better known as Chinese knotweed or Flowery knotweed, is a widely used Chinese herbology. It is said to Rejuvenation the body, and is also commonly known as fo-ti, fo-ti-teng, ho shou wu, or he shou wu ....
  • Polygonum newberryi - Newberry knotweed
  • Polygonum oxyspermum – Ray's knotgrass
  • Polygonum paronychia
  • Polygonum paronychioides
  • Polygonum parryi
  • Polygonum patulum - Bellard's smartweed
  • Polygonum perfoliatum – mile-a-minute weed
    Mile-a-minute weed

    Mile-a-minute weed , also known as Devil's tail tearthumb, Asiatic tearthumb, Gangbangui, or Devil Shield, is an herbaceous annual, trailing vine in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae....
  • Polygonum phytolaccifolium
  • Polygonum plebeium
  • Polygonum polycnemoides
  • Polygonum polycnenoides
  • Polygonum polygaloides
  • Polygonum punctatum - dotted smartweed
  • Polygonum raii = Polygonum oxyspermum
  • Polygonum ramosissimum
    Polygonum ramosissimum

    Polygonum ramosissimum is a herbaceous annual plant species native from most of North America, were it is commonly called Bushy knotweed....
  • Polygonum robustius - stout smartweed
  • Polygonum rurivagum
  • Polygonum salicifolium
  • Polygonum scoparium
  • Polygonum segetum - field smartweed
  • Polygonum setaceum - bog smartweed
  • Polygonum shastense
  • Polygonum striatulum
  • Polygonum tenue


Reclassified as Fagopyrum


  • Polygonum fagopyrum (Fagopyrum esculentum) – buckwheat
    Buckwheat

    Buckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum....


Reclassified as Fallopia


  • Polygonum aubertii = Polygonum baldschuanicum
  • Polygonum baldschuanicum (Fallopia baldschuanica) (Fallopia aubertii, Bilderdykia aubertii, Bilderdykia balschuanicum) – Russian vine
  • Polygonum cilinode (Fallopia cilinodis, Bilderdykia cilinodis) – fringed black bindweed
  • Polygonum convolvulus (Fallopia convolvulus) – Black Bindweed, wild buckwheat
  • Polygonum cuspidatum = Polygonum japonicum - Japanese knotweed
    Japanese knotweed

    Japanese Knotweed is a large, herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Asia in Japan, China and Korea. In the U.S.A. and Europe the species is very successful and has been classified as invasive species in several countries....
  • Polygonum dumetorum (Fallopia dumetorum) – copse bindweed
  • Polygonum japonicum (Fallopia japonica, Reynoutria japonica) – Japanese knotweed
    Japanese knotweed

    Japanese Knotweed is a large, herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Asia in Japan, China and Korea. In the U.S.A. and Europe the species is very successful and has been classified as invasive species in several countries....
  • Polygonum multiflorum (Fallopia multiflora
    Fallopia multiflora

    Fallopia multiflora is a species of Fallopia native to central and southern China.It is a herbaceous perennial plant vine growing to 2?4 m tall from a woody tuber....
    )
  • Polygonum sachalinense (Fallopia sachalinensis
    Fallopia sachalinensis

    Fallopia sachalinensis is a species of Fallopia native to northeastern Asia in northern Japan and the far east of Russia .It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 2?4 m tall, with strong, extensively spreading rhizomes forming large clonal colony....
    , Reynoutria sachalinensis) – giant knotweed
  • Polygonum scandens (Fallopia scandens)


Reclassified as Persicaria
Persicaria

Persicaria is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae, collectively known as smartweeds or pinkweeds. The genus was formerly included in the genus Polygonum....

Polygonumpersicara Flower Sm
  • Polygonum affine (Persicaria affinis
    Persicaria affinis

    Persicaria affinis is an ornamental plant of Persicaria genus in Polygonaceae family.ReferencesExternal links...
    )
  • Polygonum alatum (Persicaria alata)
  • Polygonum alpinum – alpine knotweed (Persicaria alpina)
  • Polygonum amphibium – amphibious bistort, longroot smartweed, water smartweed, (Persicaria amphibia)
  • Polygonum amplexicaule (Persicaria amplexicaulis)
  • Polygonum bistorta – bistort (Persicaria bistorta
    Persicaria bistorta

    Persicaria bistorta is a herbaceous flowering plant found throughout Europe. The generic placement of this species is in flux. While treated here as in Persicaria, it has also been placed in Polygonum or Bistorta....
    )
  • Polygonum campanulatum – lesser knotweed, bellflower smartweed, (Persicaria campanulata) (Reynoutria campanulatum)
  • Polygonum capitatum - pinkhead smartweed, (Persicaria capitata)
  • Polygonum emodi (Persicaria emodi)
  • Polygonum filiforme (Persicaria virginiana
    Persicaria virginiana

    Jumpseed is a Persicaria....
    )
  • Polygonum hydropiper – water-pepper
    Water-pepper

    Water-pepper or Water pepper is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. It grows in damp places and shallow water; a native of the temperate zones of the Northern hemisphere....
     (Persicaria hydropiper)
  • Polygonum lapathifolium – pale persicaria
    Pale Persicaria

    Pale Persicaria is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. It is closely related to Redshank and as such is considered a weed in Britain and Europe....
     or nodding smartweed (Persicaria lapathifolia)
  • Polygonum longisetum (Persicaria longiseta)
  • Polygonum macrophyllum (Persicaria macrophylla)
  • Polygonum milletii (Persicaria milletii)
  • Polygonum minus – small water-pepper (Persicaria minor)
  • Polygonum mite – tasteless water-pepper (Persicaria mitis, Persicaria laxiflora)
  • Polygonum molle (Persicaria mollis)
  • Polygonum nepalense (Persicaria nepalensis)
  • Polygonum odoratum – Vietnamese coriander
    Vietnamese coriander

    Vietnamese coriander is a herb of which the leaves are frequently used in Southeast Asian cooking. Other English language names for the herb include Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, Cambodian mint and hot mint....
     (Persicaria odorata)
  • Polygonum orientale (Persicaria orientalis)
  • Polygonum pensylvanicum – Pennsylvania smartweed or pink knotweed or pinkweed (Persicaria pensylvanica)
  • Polygonum persicaria – redshank
    Redshank (plant)

    The Redshank is a perennial plant from the Knotweed family Polygonaceae. It is also called Persicaria, Redleg, Lady's-thumb, Spotted Ladysthumb, and Adam's Plaster in Newfoundland....
     or persicaria or lady's thumb (Persicaria maculosa)
  • Polygonum polystachyum = Polygonum wallichii
  • Polygonum runciforme (Persicaria runcinata)
  • Polygonum sagittatum – arrowleaf tearthumb, American tear-thumb or scratchgrass (Persicaria sagittata)
  • Polygonum tenuicaule (Persicaria tenuicaulis)
  • Polygonum tinctorium (Persicaria tinctoria)
  • Polygonum vaccinifolium (Persicaria vaccinifolia)
  • Polygonum virginianum (Persicaria virginiana
    Persicaria virginiana

    Jumpseed is a Persicaria....
    )
  • Polygonum viviparum – alpine bistort
    Alpine Bistort

    Alpine Bistort is common all over the high Arctic. It stretches further south in high mountainous areas like the Alps, Carpathian Mountains, Pyrenees, Caucasus and the Tibetan Plateau....
     (Persicaria vivipara)
  • Polygonum wallichii – Himalayan knotweed (Persicaria wallichii)
  • Polygonum weyrichii (Persicaria weyrichii)