Persicaria lapathifolia
(L.) Delarbe
Pale Smartweed, Pale Knotweed
(c) Sandy Wolkenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sandy Wolkenberg
(c) Roberto Daniel Avila, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Roberto Daniel Avila
(c) Sandy Wolkenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sandy Wolkenberg
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds
It has been found in analysis of the intestinal contents of the Tollund Man body, found in peat in Denmark in 1950.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate and subtropical plant. It grows in wet areas above 1500 m altitude in Papua New Guinea. It grows in wetlands. It grows in Inner Mongolia in China. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Botswana, Britain, Cambodia, Central Asia, Chile, China, East Africa, Eswatini, Europe, France, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Manchuria, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Russia, SE Asia, Siberia, Sikkim, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Thailand, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
An erect herb. It can grow for one year or for several years. It can lie along the ground or be erect. It grows to 1 m high. The stems are slender. They can be 2.4 cm across. The leaves are sword shaped and 12 cm long. They can be 25 cm long by 5 cm wide but are mostly smaller. There can be hairs along the larger veins on the upper surface of the leaf. The base is narrowly wedge shaped and they taper to the tip. The flower arrangement is at the top. The false spikes are like cylinders. They are dense. The fruit are flattened and flask shaped. It has flat faces with round edges. They are 2 mm long. They are black or brown and shiny.
How to Grow
The plant can be found from the temperate zone through to the tropics. Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil in sun or part shade. Repays generous treatment. Stems in contact with damp soil or water may develop adventitious roots from the nodes. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits.
Propagation: Seed - germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out when they have reached sufficient size.
Medicinal Uses
The whole plant is antiseptic and astringent. An infusion has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints, VD and fevers. The plant produces a soft white mass, a froth like that of soap. It is applied externally to burns.
Other Uses
The plant produces a soft white mass, a froth like that of soap. It is used for bathing and washing clothes.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Persicaria lapathifolia (syn. Polygonum lapathifolium), known as pale persicaria, is a plant of the family Polygonaceae. It is considered to be native throughout most of the world, from arctic to tropical realms, except South America and Southern Africa. It is closely related to Persicaria maculosa and as such is considered a weed in Britain and Europe. Other common names for the plant include pale smartweed, curlytop knotweed, and willow weed. It is a species complex made up of a great many varying forms, sometimes considered varieties. The environment also has a strong influence on the morphology of an individual plant.
Other Information
It is a main wild vegetable in the Hexi corridor QiLian mountains China.
Notes
It can irritate the skin. There are about 50 Polygonum species.
Names & Synonyms
Curlytop knotweed, Hurangan chihi, Savanyu keserufu, Tirson, Willow smartweed
References (23)
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- www.eflora.org Flora of China (As Polygonum lapathifolia)
- Zhang, Y., et al, 2014, Diversity of wetland plants used traditionally in China: a literature review. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 10:72
