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Polygonum lapathifolium
| Common name: |
Curlytop Knotweed |
Family: |
Polygonaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
17 |
| Synonyms: |
Polygonum scabrum (Moench.), Persicaria lapathifolia ((L.)S.F.Gray.) |
| Known Hazards: |
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[238]. |
| Range: |
Temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, including Britain. S. Africa. |
| Habitat: |
Swampy thickets, shores, damp clearings and cultivated fields in N. America[43]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
1 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 1 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| P. incanum[B]
P. incarnatum[B,P]
P. lapathifolium ssp. pallidum[B,P]
P. lapathifolium var. incanum[B]
P. lapathifolium var. lapathifolium[P]
P. lapathifolium var. nodosum[B,P]
P. lapathifolium var. ovatum[B,P]
P. lapathifolium var. prostratum[B,P]
P. lapathifolium var. salicifolium[B]
P. nodosum[B,P]
P. oneillii[B,P]
P. pensylvanicum ssp. oneillii[B,P]
P. tomentosum[B,P]
Persicaria incarnata[B,P]
Persicaria tomentosa[B,P]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Beklierde Duizendknoop [D], Curlytop Knotweed [P], Dock-leaf Smartweed [B], Mao Liao [E], Pale Persicaria [L], Pale Smartweed [L], Shui Hong Hua Zi [E], |
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Polygonales. Buckwheat family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China
|
| Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds | From USDA
PLANTS database, Weeds Australia
, DEFRA Injurious Weeds | | Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive. |
Physical Characteristics
Annual growing to 0.75m. It is hardy to zone 5. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
We rate it 1/5 for edibility and
1/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist or wet soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Bog Garden.Edible Uses
Leaves; Seed.
Young leaves - raw or cooked[105, 177].
Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiseptic; Astringent; Febrifuge; Stomachic.
The whole plant is antiseptic and astringent[178]. An infusion has been
used in the treatment of stomach complaints and fevers[257].
The plant produces a soft white mass, a froth like that of soap. It is
applied externally to burns[272].
Other Uses
Soap.
The plant produces a soft white mass, a froth like that of soap. It is
used for bathing and washing clothes[272].
Cultivation details
Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1] but prefers a moisture retentive
not too fertile soil in sun or part shade[200]. Repays generous treatment[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and
easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into
individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached
sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out
the following spring after the last expected frosts.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [C] Taxon data.
from the CalFlora database.
- Images
from the CalPhoto database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Persicaria lapathifolia (a possible synonym).
References for Polygonum lapathifolium var. lapathifolium (a possible synonym).
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
References for persicaria lapathifolia (a possible synonym).
References for the family Polygonaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
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Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Polygonum+lapathifolium
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Polygonum+lapathifolium
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