Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_7875.JPG-07-18-2021
Flower name (scientific): Polygonum aviculare Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) po-LI-go-num (or pol-IG-on-um) a-vik-yoo-LAIR-ee
Flower name (common): Prostrate Knotweed
Family name (common): Buckwheat
Family name (scientific): Polygonaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Greek polys meaning many and gony (gonu) for knee or joint, referring to the many joints on the stem.
    Specific epithet: Relating to small birds; eaten by small birds.
Common name origin: Prostrate for the appearance of the plant spread out along the ground, and knotweed a name applied to species in the genus Polygonum having a weedy nature and jointed stems.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.08 to 0.1 inches (2 to 3 mm)
     Petal count: There are no petals, but the flower has 5 petal-like sepals.
     Color: white with green patches
     Other: flower arrangement, few-flowered clusters from the leaf axils.
Plant description: Stems can be prostrate to erect.
     Size: 2 to 78 inches (5 to 198 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 5 cm long and about 8 to 12 or more mm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, elliptic, obovate, or spatulate (FNA), oblong or oblong-elliptic (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): July to October
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual
Habitat: Disturbed areas, waste areas, roadsides, sun.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): There are other Polygonum species that have similarities to Polygonum aviculare, including Polygonum achoreum (Leathery Knotweed), Polygonum erectum (Erect Knotweed), Polygonum ramosissimum (Bushy Knotweed), and Polygonum tenue (Slender Knotweed). These species can be separted into two Sections. Sect. Duravia describes species with no or obscure ribs on the stems, venation on the leaves is parallel, anthers pink or purple, plus some additional chacteristics. Sect. Polygonum describes species with 8 to 16 ribs on the stems, venation on the leaves is pinnate, anthers whitish-yellow, plus some additional chacteristics. Polygonum tenue is in sect. Duravia and the others are in sect. Polygonum. Polygonum aviculare has leaves that are lanceolate, elliptic, or obovate, and green to gray-green, and the tepal margins are usually white, pink, or red. Polygonum achoreum has leaves elliptic to obovate and light yellowish green, and the tepal margins are typically yellow to green. Polygonum erectum has leaves elliptic to obovate and light green or yellowish, and the tepal margins are usually yellowish. Polygonum ramosissimum has leaves elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate and light yellowish green to bluish green, and the tepal margins are usually greenish yellow or yellow.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. The Cherokee, Choctaw, Iroquois, Mendocino, Navajo, and Tmompson used this plant for a number of ailments that included diarrhea, for pain, treatment of cuts and wounds, stomachache (Moerman, p. 423, 1998).
Latitude: 44.798420
Longitude: -91.513013
Altitude: 240.10
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: Polygonum aviculare subsp. aviculare (The other infraspecifics are Polygonum aviculare subsp. buxiforme (Small) Costea & Tardif, Polygonum aviculare subsp. neglectum (Besser) Arcangeli. Both of these subspecies have been recorded from North America.)
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FAC