Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Caryophyllales > Polygonaceae > Koenigia > Koenigia polystachyaKoenigia polystachya (Himalyan knotweed; cultivated knotweed)Synonyms: Aconogonon polystachyum (homotypic); Aconogonon polystachyum var. pubescens; Aconogonum polystachyum; Koenigia polystachya var. longifolia; Persicaria polystachya; Persicaria wallichii (homotypic); Persicaria wallichii var. pubescens; Persicaria wallichii var. tomentosa; Persicaria wallichii var. wallichii; Peutalis polystachya (homotypic); Pleuropteropyrum hagei; Pleuropteropyrum polystachyum (homotypic); Polygonum hagei (homotypic); Polygonum molle (heterotypic); Polygonum polystachyum (homotypic); Polygonum polystachyum pubescens; Polygonum polystachyum var. longifolia; Polygonum polystachyum var. pubescens; Reynoutria polystachya (homotypic); Reynoutria polystachyum (homotypic); Rubrivena polystachya (homotypic) Persicaria wallichii is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common names Himalayan knotweed and cultivated knotweed. Persicaria wallichii is native to Asia (southwestern China, Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Afghanistan) and it is planted many places as an ornamental. It has the capacity to become an invasive species and has established itself in some parts of North America, primarily the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada. It is an invasive weed in the mountains of Sri Lanka. |
| 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] | Perennial | | Structure [3] | Herb | | Usage [2] | Plants are very vigorous and can be grown for ground cover, succeeding even on the verges of streams; They are best spaced about 1.2 metres apart each way; | | | Height [2] | 5.904 feet (1.8 m) | | Width [2] | 4.92 feet (1.5 m) |
View Plants For A Future Record : Koenigia polystachya |
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
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