- Family: Polygonaceae Juss.
Polygonum L.
This genus is accepted, and its native range is Cosmopolitan.
Descriptions
According to Flora of Tropical East Africa
[FTEA]Polygonaceae, R. A. Graham. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1958
- Habit
- Hermaphrodite herbs or (rarely) shrubs, glabrous to very hairy, slender or stout, often paludal
- Ocrea
- Ocreae with or without a terminal fringe of stiff bristles
- Flowers
- Flowers (in E. African spp.) borne in spiciform racemes or terminal capitula
- Bracteoles
- Bracteoles 2, conjoined, thinly membranous and contained within the ocreiform bracts
- Perianth
- Perianth (in E. African spp.) not accrescent, calyciform at the base, with 4–5, often imbricate, petaloid, ± persistent tepals
- Stamens
- Stamens 5–8, included or protruding, a little dilated at the base or conjoined there into a ring
- Pistil
- Styles 2 or 3, often united for part of their length; stigmas capitate
- Fruits
- Ripe nuts often black and shining, acutely to obscurely trigonous, or lenticular with convex or concave (dimpled) sides.
According to Flora Zambesiaca
[FZ]Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 9, Part 3. Polygonaceae-Myriaceae. Pope GV, Polhill RM, Martins ES. 2006.
- Leaves
- Leaves alternate, small, usually less than 2 cm long and articulated at the base, lanceolate-elliptic to oblong Leaves alternate, small, usually less than 2 cm long and articulated at the base, lanceolate-elliptic to oblong.
- Ocrea
- Ocrea membranaceous, silvery or white, often deeply lacerate, glabrous Ocrea membranaceous, silvery or white, often deeply lacerate, glabrous.
- Flowers
- Flowers hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, solitary or in sessile fascicles springing from the axils of bracts; bracteoles 2, fused, thinly membranous and contained within the bracts Flowers hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, solitary or in sessile fascicles springing from the axils of bracts; bracteoles 2, fused, thinly membranous and contained within the bracts.
- Perianth
- Perianth segments (4)5, equal or somewhat unequal in length, spirally arranged, often imbricate, free or united in the lower part, petaloid at least in part, with only one main vein (the vein sometimes branched); outer segments keeled or slightly angular, different from the inner Perianth segments (4)5, equal or somewhat unequal in length, spirally arranged, often imbricate, free or united in the lower part, petaloid at least in part, with only one main vein (the vein sometimes branched); outer segments keeled or slightly angular, different from the inner.
- Stamens
- Stamens 4–6, rarely fewer, included or not; filaments broadly dilated in the lower half, free or sometimes united at the base into a ring; anthers globose or ellipsoid, dorsifixed; interstaminal nectaries lacking Stamens 4–6, rarely fewer, included or not; filaments broadly dilated in the lower half, free or sometimes united at the base into a ring; anthers globose or ellipsoid, dorsifixed; interstaminal nectaries lacking.
- Ovary
- Ovary included in the perianth; styles (2)3, free; stigmas capitate
- Fruits
- Nut trigonous, enclosed in the persistent perianth or protruding from it for less than half its length. Nut trigonous, enclosed in the persistent perianth or protruding from it for less than half its length.
- Distribution
- A cosmopolitan genus of c. 20 species, most occurring in north temperate regions (knotweeds).
- Habit
- Annual or perennial prostrate or semi-erect herbs (rarely shrubs), glabrous or hairy. Annual or perennial prostrate or semi-erect herbs (rarely shrubs), glabrous or hairy
- Stem
- Stems much branched. Stems much branched
- Pistil
- Ovary included in the perianth; styles (2)3, free; stigmas capitate.
Images
Distribution
Native to:
Alabama, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Assam, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Burkina, Buryatiya, California, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Central European Rus, Chad, Chile Central, Chile South, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Florida, France, Free State, Føroyar, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Gulf States, Hainan, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Kuril Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Labrador, Libya, Louisiana, Madagascar, Madeira, Magadan, Maine, Malawi, Mali, Manchuria, Manitoba, Maryland, Masachusettes, Mauritania, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nebraska, Netherlands, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, Niger, Nigeria, North Carolina, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Northwest Territorie, Norway, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Qinghai, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Saskatchewan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sicilia, Sinai, Society Is., South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Tibet, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Western Sahara, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutskiya, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Yukon, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
Introduced into:
Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Chile North, Colombia, Falkland Is., Galápagos, Juan Fernández Is., Lesotho, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Paraguay, Réunion, Svalbard, Tristan da Cunha, Wallis-Futuna Is.
Accepted Species
- Polygonum acerosum Ledeb. ex Meisn.
- Polygonum acetosum M.Bieb.
- Polygonum achoreum S.F.Blake
- Polygonum adenopodum Sam.
- Polygonum afromontanum Greenway
- Polygonum agreste Sumnev.
- Polygonum ajanense (Regel & Tiling) Grig.
- Polygonum albanicum Jáv.
- Polygonum amgense Michaleva & Perfiljeva
- Polygonum arenarium Waldst. & Kit.
- Polygonum arenastrum Boreau
- Polygonum argyrocoleon Steud. ex Kunze
- Polygonum articulatum L.
- Polygonum austiniae Greene
- Polygonum aviculare L.
- Polygonum balansae Boiss.
- Polygonum basiramia (Small) T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum bellardii All.
- Polygonum biaristatum Aitch. & Hemsl.
- Polygonum bidwelliae S.Watson
- Polygonum bolanderi W.H.Brewer ex A.Gray
- Polygonum boreale (Lange) Small
- Polygonum bornmuelleri Litv.
- Polygonum bowenkampii Phil.
- Polygonum brasiliense K.Koch
- Polygonum californicum Meisn.
- Polygonum cascadense W.H.Baker
- Polygonum caspicum Kom.
- Polygonum cilinode Michx.
- Polygonum cognatum Meisn.
- Polygonum corrigioloides Jaub. & Spach
- Polygonum deciduum Boiss. & Noë
- Polygonum delopyrum T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum dentoceras T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum douglasii Greene
- Polygonum effusum Meisn.
- Polygonum engelmannii Greene
- Polygonum equisetiforme Sm.
- Polygonum erectum L.
- Polygonum exsertum Small
- Polygonum fibrilliferum Kom.
- Polygonum fimbriatum Elliott
- Polygonum floribundum Schltdl. ex Spreng.
- Polygonum fowleri B.L.Rob.
- Polygonum fragile Sumnev.
- Polygonum glaucum Nutt.
- Polygonum gussonei Tod.
- Polygonum heterophyllum Sol. ex Meisn.
- Polygonum heterosepalum M.Peck & Ownbey
- Polygonum hickmanii H.R.Hinds & Rand.Morgan
- Polygonum huananense A.J.Li
- Polygonum humifusum C.Merck ex K.Koch
- Polygonum icaricum Rech.f.
- Polygonum idaeum Hayek
- Polygonum imberbe Sol. ex G.Forst.
- Polygonum inflexum Kom.
- Polygonum istanbulicum M.Keskin
- Polygonum jaxarticum Sumnev.
- Polygonum korotkovae Sumnev.
- Polygonum kudriaschevii Vassilkovsk.
- Polygonum lacerum Kunth
- Polygonum liaotungense Kitag.
- Polygonum longiocreatum Bartlett
- Polygonum longipes Halácsy & Charrel
- Polygonum majus (Meisn.) Piper
- Polygonum marinense T.R.Mert. & P.H.Raven
- Polygonum maritimum L.
- Polygonum mezianum H.Gross
- Polygonum minimum S.Watson
- Polygonum molliiforme Boiss.
- Polygonum myrtillifolium Kom.
- Polygonum nesomii T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum nuttallii Small
- Polygonum oxanum Kom.
- Polygonum oxyspermum C.A.Mey. & Bunge
- Polygonum palastinum Zohary
- Polygonum papillosum Hartvig
- Polygonum parksii (Cory) T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum paronychia Cham. & Schltdl.
- Polygonum paronychioides C.A.Mey.
- Polygonum parryi Greene
- Polygonum patulum M.Bieb.
- Polygonum peruvianum Meisn.
- Polygonum pinicola T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum plebeium R.Br.
- Polygonum polycnemoides Jaub. & Spach
- Polygonum polygaloides Meisn.
- Polygonum polygamum Vent.
- Polygonum polyneuron Franch. & Sav.
- Polygonum pringlei Small
- Polygonum pulvinatum Kom.
- Polygonum ramosissimum Michx.
- Polygonum rectum (Chrtek) H.Scholz
- Polygonum recumbens Royle ex Bab.
- Polygonum rigidum Skvortsov
- Polygonum romanum Jacq.
- Polygonum rottboellioides Jaub. & Spach
- Polygonum rupestre Kar. & Kir.
- Polygonum rurivagum Jord. ex Boreau
- Polygonum sabulosum Vorosch.
- Polygonum salsugineum M.Bieb.
- Polygonum sanguinaria Remy
- Polygonum sawatchense Small
- Polygonum schistosum Czukav.
- Polygonum scoparium Req. ex Loisel.
- Polygonum sericeum Pall.
- Polygonum serotinum Raf.
- Polygonum serpyllaceum Jaub. & Spach
- Polygonum shastense W.H.Brewer ex A.Gray
- Polygonum simlense Royle ex Bab.
- Polygonum smallianum T.M.Schust. & Reveal
- Polygonum spergulariiforme Meisn. ex Small
- Polygonum striatulum B.L.Rob.
- Polygonum stypticum Cham. & Schltdl.
- Polygonum subaphyllum Sumnev.
- Polygonum tenoreanum E.Nardi & Raffaelli
- Polygonum tenue Michx.
- Polygonum tenuissimum A.I.Baranov & Skvortsov ex Vorosch.
- Polygonum thymifolium Jaub. & Spach
- Polygonum tiflisiense Kom.
- Polygonum tubulosum Boiss.
- Polygonum turgidum Thuill.
- Polygonum turkestanicum Sumnev.
- Polygonum undulatum (L.) P.J.Bergius
- Polygonum utahense Brenckle & Cottam
- Polygonum valerii A.K.Skvortsov
- Polygonum volchovense Tzvelev
- Polygonum vvedenskyi Sumnev.
- Polygonum zaravschanicum Zakirov
Synonyms
- Ampelygonum Lindl.
- Asicaria Neck.
- Avicularia (Meisn.) Börner
- Centinodia Rchb.
- Centinodium (Rchb.) Drejer
- Chulusium Raf.
- Cnopos Raf.
- Delopyrum Small
- Dentoceras Small
- Dioctis Raf.
- Discolenta Raf.
- Duravia (S.Watson) Greene
- Gononcus Raf.
- Gonopyrum Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
- Lyonella Raf.
- Lyonia Raf.
- Polygonella Michx.
- Polygonon St.-Lag.
- Spermaulaxen Raf.
- Stopinaca Raf.
- Tephis Adans.
- Thysanella A.Gray
Other Data
Polygonum L. appears in other Kew resources:
Herbarium Catalogue (1 records)
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Strachey, R. [Cat. no. s.n.] | K001132871 |
Bibliography
First published in Sp. Pl.: 359 (1753)
Accepted by
- Schuster, T.M., Reveal, J.L., Bayly, M.J. & Kron, K.A. (2015). An updated molecular phylogeny of Polygonoideae (Polygonaceae): relationships of Oxygonum, Pteroxygonum, and Rumex, and a new circumscription of Koenigia Taxon 64: 1188-1208.
Literature
Flora of West Tropical Africa
- A. N. Steward in Contrib. Gray Herb. Harv. 88 (1930).
- —F.T.A. 6, 1: 103
Flora Zambesiaca
- Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 98: 340–343 (1988).
- Ronse Decraene & Akeroyd in Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 98: 340–343 (1988).
- F.T.E.A., Polygonaceae: 13–14 (1958).
- Graham in F.T.E.A., Polygonaceae: 13–14 (1958).
- Meisner in de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 85–101 (1856).
- de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 85–101 (1856).
- Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 170 (1754) nom. conserv.
- Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 170 (1754) nom. conserv.
- Sp. Pl.: 359 (1753)
- Sp. Pl.: 359 (1753)
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 170 (1754)
- Sp. Pl.: 359 (1753)
Sources
Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
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The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2019. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2019. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
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