Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Caryophyllales > Polygonaceae > Persicaria > Persicaria perfoliataPersicaria perfoliata (mile-a-minute weed; Devil's-tail tearthumb; Mile-a-minute-vine; Minuteweed; Tearthumb; Asiatic tearthumb; Ishimikawa)Synonyms: Ampelygonum perfoliatum (homotypic); Chylocalyx perfoliatus; Echinocaulon perfoliatum (homotypic); Fagopyrum perfoliatum (homotypic); Polygonum arifolium var. perfoliatum; Polygonum paucifoliatum; Polygonum perfoliatum (homotypic); Tracaulon perfoliatum (homotypic); Truellum perfoliatum (homotypic) Persicaria perfoliata is a synonym for Polygonum perfoliatum, a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. Common names include mile-a-minute weed, devil's tail, giant climbing tearthumb, and Asiatic tearthumb. It is a trailing herbaceous annual vine with barbed stems and triangular leaves. It is native to most of temperate and tropical eastern Asia, from eastern Russia in the north down to New Guinea and India in the south. |
Allergen Potential [1] | Medium-High | | Edible [2] | May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details. | Flower Type [2] | Hermaphrodite | Hazards [2] | Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people.
Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whilst not toxic this substance can bind up other minerals making them unavailable to the body and leading to mineral deficiency. Having said that, a number of common foods such as sorrel and rhubarb contain oxalic acid and the leaves of most members of this genus are nutritious and beneficial to eat in moderate quantities. Cooking the leaves will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition; | Lifespan [2] | Annual/Perennial | Pollinators [2] | Insects, Lepidoptera | Structure [3] | Herb | | Height [2] | 5.904 feet (1.8 m) | View Plants For A Future Record : Persicaria perfoliata |
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0
|