Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Caryophyllales > Polygonaceae > Persicaria > Persicaria decipiensPersicaria decipiens (knotweed)Synonyms: Persicaria minor decipiens (homotypic); Persicaria serrulata var. asiatica; Polygonum abyssinicum; Polygonum adoense; Polygonum angustifolium; Polygonum decipiens (homotypic); Polygonum glabrum; Polygonum minus decipiens (homotypic); Polygonum minus var. decipiens; Polygonum salicifolium; Polygonum scabrum var. glabrescens; Polygonum serratuloides; Polygonum sinuatum Persicaria decipiens, commonly known as slender knotweed, is a species of flowering plant native to Australia and Asia. Persicaria decipiens is a trailing plant whose stems grow horizontally at first but become more vertical with time, reaching 30 cm (1 ft) high. Its narrow elliptic to lanceolate (spear-shaped) leaves are 5–12 cm (2–4.5 in) long and 0.5–1.3 cm (0.20–0.51 in) across. The slender pink flower spikes appear from November to June, with a peak in February. Cylindrical in shape, they are not stiff and tend to bend over. The plant tends to die back in winter and regenerate after water. |
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; | View Plants For A Future Record : Persicaria decipiens |
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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