175 Species in Genus Polygonum

Knotweed and Beyond: My Exploration of the Genus Polygonum

Hi, I’m Ferb Vu, and today I’m diving deep into the fascinating world of Polygonum. This diverse genus of flowering plants, belonging to the family Polygonaceae, has captivated me with its resilience, adaptability, and surprising beauty. You might know Polygonum by its more common names – knotweed or knotgrass. While these names might conjure up images of pesky weeds invading your garden, there’s much more to this genus than meets the eye.

A Diverse Family

Polygonum comprises roughly 170 species, ranging from creeping groundcovers to towering shrubs. They’re found in a variety of habitats across the globe, from wetlands and meadows to roadsides and mountain slopes. This adaptability is a testament to their hardiness and evolutionary success.

  1. Polygonum acerosum Ledeb. ex Meisn.
  2. Polygonum acetosum M.Bieb.
  3. Polygonum achoreum S.F.Blake
  4. Polygonum afghanicum Meisn.
  5. Polygonum afromontanum Greenway
  6. Polygonum afyonicum Leblebici & Gemici
  7. Polygonum agreste Sumnev.
  8. Polygonum ajanense (Regel & Tiling) Grig.
  9. Polygonum albanicum Jáv.
  10. Polygonum aleppicum Boiss. & Hausskn.
  11. Polygonum americanum (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  12. Polygonum amgense Michaleva & Perfiljeva
  13. Polygonum arenarium Waldst. & Kit.
  14. Polygonum arenastrum Boreau
  15. Polygonum argyrocoleon Steud. ex Kunze
  16. Polygonum articulatum L.
  17. Polygonum arussense Chiov.
  18. Polygonum aschersonianum H.Gross
  19. Polygonum austiniae Greene
  20. Polygonum aviculare L.
  21. Polygonum balansae Boiss.
  22. Polygonum basiramia (Small) T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  23. Polygonum bellardii All.
  24. Polygonum biaristatum Aitch. & Hemsl.
  25. Polygonum bidwelliae S.Watson
  26. Polygonum bolanderi W.H.Brewer ex A.Gray
  27. Polygonum boreale (Lange) Small
  28. Polygonum bornmuelleri Litv.
  29. Polygonum bowenkampii Phil.
  30. Polygonum brasiliense K.Koch
  31. Polygonum breviarticulatum Rech.f.
  32. Polygonum buxiforme Small
  33. Polygonum californicum Meisn.
  34. Polygonum cappadocicum Boiss. & Balansa
  35. Polygonum carinatum Charit.
  36. Polygonum cascadense W.H.Baker
  37. Polygonum cashmirense H.Gross
  38. Polygonum caspicum Kom.
  39. Polygonum cedrorum Boiss. & Kotschy
  40. Polygonum cognatum Meisn.
  41. Polygonum corrigioloides Jaub. & Spach
  42. Polygonum czukavinae Soják
  43. Polygonum delfini Phil.
  44. Polygonum delopyrum T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  45. Polygonum dentoceras T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  46. Polygonum douglasii Greene
  47. Polygonum effusum Meisn.
  48. Polygonum ekimianum Leblebici, H.Duman & Aytaç
  49. Polygonum engelmannii Greene
  50. Polygonum equisetiforme Sm.
  51. Polygonum erectum L.
  52. Polygonum euxinum Chrtek
  53. Polygonum evenkiense Tupitz. & Juzeph.
  54. Polygonum excelsius (Karlsson) Uotila
  55. Polygonum expansum Charit.
  56. Polygonum fibrilliferum Kom.
  57. Polygonum fimbriatum Elliott
  58. Polygonum floribundum Schltdl. ex Spreng.
  59. Polygonum fowleri B.L.Rob.
  60. Polygonum fragile Sumnev.
  61. Polygonum fusco-ochreatum Kom.
  62. Polygonum gabrielae Costea & Tardif
  63. Polygonum glaucum Nutt.
  64. Polygonum graminifolium Wierzb. ex Heuff.
  65. Polygonum gussonei Tod.
  66. Polygonum heterosepalum M.Peck & Ownbey
  67. Polygonum hickmanii H.R.Hinds & Rand.Morgan
  68. Polygonum hohuanshanense S.S.Ying
  69. Polygonum huichunense F.Z.Li, Y.T.Hou & C.Y.Qu
  70. Polygonum humifusum C.Merck ex K.Koch
  71. Polygonum hyrcanicum Rech.f.
  72. Polygonum icaricum Rech.f.
  73. Polygonum idaeum Hayek
  74. Polygonum ilanense Y.C.Liu & C.H.Ou
  75. Polygonum inflexum Kom.
  76. Polygonum intramongolicum A.J.Li ex Borodina
  77. Polygonum iranicum Mozaff.
  78. Polygonum istanbulicum M.Keskin
  79. Polygonum jaxarticum Sumnev.
  80. Polygonum karacae Ziel. & Borat.
  81. Polygonum lacerum Kunth
  82. Polygonum libani Boiss.
  83. Polygonum longiocreatum Bartlett
  84. Polygonum longipes Halácsy & Charrel
  85. Polygonum loshanense S.S.Ying
  86. Polygonum luzuloides Jaub. & Spach
  87. Polygonum majus (Meisn.) Piper
  88. Polygonum marinense T.R.Mert. & P.H.Raven
  89. Polygonum maritimum L.
  90. Polygonum melihae Gemici & Kit Tan
  91. Polygonum mersinicum M.Keskin
  92. Polygonum mesembricum Chrtek
  93. Polygonum mezianum H.Gross
  94. Polygonum minimum S.Watson
  95. Polygonum mirajabii Chaudhri
  96. Polygonum molliiforme Boiss.
  97. Polygonum neglectum Besser
  98. Polygonum nesomii T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  99. Polygonum nikolai Tupitz.
  100. Polygonum norvegicum (Sam.) Lid
  101. Polygonum novoascanicum Klokov
  102. Polygonum nuttallii Small
  103. Polygonum olivascens Rech.f. & Schiman-Czeika
  104. Polygonum oxyspermum C.A.Mey. & Bunge ex Ledeb.
  105. Polygonum palaestinum Zohary
  106. Polygonum papillosum Hartvig
  107. Polygonum parksii (Cory) T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  108. Polygonum paronychia Cham. & Schltdl.
  109. Polygonum paronychioides C.A.Mey.
  110. Polygonum parryi Greene
  111. Polygonum patuliforme Vorosch.
  112. Polygonum patulum M.Bieb.
  113. Polygonum plebeium R.Br.
  114. Polygonum podlechii Rech.f. & Schiman-Czeika
  115. Polygonum polycnemoides Jaub. & Spach
  116. Polygonum polygaloides Meisn.
  117. Polygonum polygamum Vent.
  118. Polygonum polyneuron Franch. & Sav.
  119. Polygonum pringlei Small
  120. Polygonum psammophilum (Bordz. ex Tzvelev) Tzvelev
  121. Polygonum × pseudobellardii Hausskn.
  122. Polygonum × pseudopulchellum Hausskn.
  123. Polygonum raii Bab.
  124. Polygonum ramosissimum Michx.
  125. Polygonum ramuliflorum Kitag.
  126. Polygonum recumbens Royle ex Bab.
  127. Polygonum rigidum Skvortsov
  128. Polygonum roberti Loisel.
  129. Polygonum romanum Jacq.
  130. Polygonum rottboellioides Jaub. & Spach
  131. Polygonum rupestre Kar. & Kir.
  132. Polygonum rurivagum Jord. ex Boreau
  133. Polygonum sabulosum Vorosch.
  134. Polygonum salebrosum Coode & Cullen
  135. Polygonum salsugineum M.Bieb.
  136. Polygonum samsunicum Yıld. & Leblebici
  137. Polygonum sarobiense Rech.f.
  138. Polygonum sawatchense Small
  139. Polygonum schistosum Czukav.
  140. Polygonum scoparium Req. ex Loisel.
  141. Polygonum sericeum Georgi
  142. Polygonum setosum Jacq.
  143. Polygonum shastense W.H.Brewer ex A.Gray
  144. Polygonum shiheziense F.Z.Li, Y.T.Hou & F.J.Lu
  145. Polygonum shuchengense Z.Z.Zhou
  146. Polygonum shuense A.J.Li & B.J.Bao
  147. Polygonum sivasicum Kit Tan & Yıldız
  148. Polygonum smallianum T.M.Schust. & Reveal
  149. Polygonum snijmaniae S.Ortiz
  150. Polygonum spergulariiforme Meisn. ex Small
  151. Polygonum striatulum B.L.Rob.
  152. Polygonum stypticum Cham. & Schltdl.
  153. Polygonum subaphyllum Sumnev.
  154. Polygonum sumatranum Bruijn
  155. Polygonum sylvaticum Skvortsov
  156. Polygonum tachengense F.Z.Li, Y.T.Hou & F.J.Lu
  157. Polygonum taiwanense S.S.Ying
  158. Polygonum tenerum Spreng.
  159. Polygonum tenorei C.Presl
  160. Polygonum tenue Michx.
  161. Polygonum tenuissimum A.I.Baranov & Skvortsov ex Vorosch.
  162. Polygonum terzioglui Makbul, Coşkunç. & Kundakçı
  163. Polygonum thymifolium Jaub. & Spach
  164. Polygonum turkestanicum Sumnev.
  165. Polygonum undulatum (L.) P.J.Bergius
  166. Polygonum uniflorum Y.X.Ma & Y.T.Zhao
  167. Polygonum urnigera M.Keskin
  168. Polygonum urumqiense F.Z.Li, Y.T.Hou & F.J.Lu
  169. Polygonum utahense Brenckle & Cottam
  170. Polygonum valerii A.K.Skvortsov
  171. Polygonum viale Charit.
  172. Polygonum volchovense Tzvelev
  173. Polygonum vvedenskyi Sumnev.
  174. Polygonum zakirovii Czevr.
  175. Polygonum zaravschanicum Zakirov

More Than Just a Weed

While some Polygonum species are considered invasive, it’s important to remember that they also play vital roles in their ecosystems. They provide food and shelter for wildlife, contribute to soil health, and even help prevent erosion.

Moreover, many Polygonum species have a long history of use in traditional medicine. They’ve been used to treat a variety of ailments, from digestive issues and skin conditions to inflammation and even cancer. Modern research is starting to validate some of these traditional uses, uncovering the potential of Polygonum to yield novel therapeutic compounds.

The Beauty of Simplicity

Beyond their ecological and medicinal importance, I find a certain beauty in the simplicity of Polygonum flowers. Their delicate, often unassuming blooms, ranging in color from white and pink to red and green, offer a subtle charm that often goes unnoticed. They remind me that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, even in the humble weeds that we often overlook.

Looking Ahead

As I continue to explore the world of Polygonum, I’m excited to learn more about their biology, ecology, and potential applications. This genus, often dismissed as mere weeds, holds a wealth of untapped potential, waiting to be discovered. Whether it’s through the development of new medicines, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, or simply the appreciation of their understated beauty, Polygonum has much to offer.

I believe that by understanding and appreciating the diversity and complexity of the natural world, even in its seemingly mundane aspects, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of life and our place within it.

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