Polygonum microcephalum D.Don

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Polygonaceae > Polygonum

Characteristics

Herbs perennial. Rhizomes stout. Stems erect or decumbent, 40-60 cm tall, angulate, branched. Petiole 1-1.2 cm, winged; leaf blade broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, 6-10 × 2-4 cm, both surfaces glabrous or pilose, base subrounded, decurrent along petiole forming a wing, margin entire, ciliate, apex acuminate; ocrea tubular, lax, 7-10 mm, pubescent, apex truncate, ciliate. Inflorescence terminal, usually geminate, capitate, 5-7 mm in diam.; peduncle glabrous or glandular hairy; bracts ovate, apex acute. Perianth white or pinkish, 5-parted; tepals elliptic, 2-3 mm. Stamens 8, included. Styles 3, connate to below middle; stigmas capitate. Achenes black-brown, opaque, broadly ovoid, trigonous, 2-2.5 mm, punctate.
More
A herb. It can have fine hairs. It grows 1 m tall. It has a woody rootstock and grows each year from this. The leaves are oval or sword shaped. They narrow to a winged leaf stalk. The flowers are in small heads.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.5 - 2.25
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 0.8
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a subtropical plant. In south China it grows between 500-3,200 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-10

Usage

The slightly sour leaves are added to curry to increase the taste. They are cooked and eaten.
Uses environmental use medicinal
Edible leaves seeds shoots
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings, divisions or seedlings.
Mode cuttings 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 microcephalum unspecified picture

Distribution

Polygonum microcephalum world distribution map, present in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Viet Nam

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:696066-1
WFO ID wfo-0001245531
COL ID 6V5FB
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Polygonum microcephalum Persicaria microcephala Polygonum microcephalum var. microcephalum

Lower taxons

Polygonum microcephalum var. sphaerocephalum