Polygonum affine D.Don

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Polygonaceae > Polygonum

Characteristics

Subshrubs 10-15 cm tall. Rhizomes horizontal, ligneous. Branches densely tufted, terete, herbaceous, glabrous. Basal leaves shortly petiolate; leaf blade gray-green abaxially, green adaxially, oblanceolate or lanceolate, 5-10 × 1-1.8 cm, subleathery, both surfaces glabrous, midvein large, base narrowly cuneate, margin revolute, apex acute. Cauline leaves subsessile, smaller; ocrea brown, tubular, ca. 1 cm, membranous, veins numerous, glabrous, apex oblique, not ciliate, usually lacerate. Inflorescence terminal, spicate, erect, dense, large, 3-6 cm, 1-1.5 cm in diam.; bracts ovate, membranous. Pedicels longer than perianth. Perianth purple-red, 5-parted; tepals obovate, ca. 4 mm. Stamens 8; anthers purple. Styles 3, connate at base; stigmas capitate. Achenes included in persistent perianth, dark brown, shiny, ellipsoid, trigonous, ca. 3 mm, base narrowly cuneate, apex acute. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.
More
A herb. It forms mats. It grows 10 cm tall and spreads 60 cm wide. The leaves are narrow and have a waxy coating underneath giving them a white colour. The leaves are mostly at the base and 3-8 cm long. The flower spikes are 5-8 cm long on stalks 5-25 cm long.
Life form -
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.55 - 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a temperate plant. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 3,000-4,800 m above sea level.
Light 4-7
Soil humidity 2-7
Soil texture -
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-8

Usage

The seeds are eaten raw or cooked. The shoots are cooked with fish and eaten in curries.
Uses -
Edible leaves seeds
Therapeutic use General tonic for rejuvenation (flower)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 21 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°) 21 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Polygonum affine unspecified picture

Distribution

Polygonum affine world distribution map, present in China

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:695322-1
WFO ID wfo-0001245486
COL ID 4L8ZY
BDTFX ID 51316
INPN ID 114631
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Polygonum donianum Persicaria affinis Polygonum affine