China knotweed (Persicaria chinensis)

China knotweed (Persicaria chinensis) is a species of plant in the Polygonaceae, a shrub with stems growing on the ground or climbing, oval-shaped leaves, flowers appear at the end of the stem, round fruit and often grows in the shade.

P. chinensis has cylindrical stems, 2-3 m long, branched, green or red or brown with linear lines, creeping along the ground or climbing on a support.

Leaves are oval or elongated, 4-8 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, base flat, tip pointed, margin flat, a main vein in the middle with several small pinnate veins, upper side dark green or reddish and often has colored markings silver and brown that make up the arrow.

Flowers appear at the end of the stem, 5-7 cm long with small white or pink flowers. The fruit is a berry, round in shape and covered in petals which enlarges and becomes fleshy when ripe. Seeds are small and black.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Subfamily: Polygonoideae
Tribe: Persicarieae
Subtribe: Persicariinae
Genus: Persicaria
Species: Persicaria chinensis
Varieties: Persicaria chinensis var. chinensis, Persicaria chinensis var. hispida

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