Polygonaceae
Polygonum

Polygonum aviculare L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 362 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. Northern Hemisphere, Macaronesia to Eritrea. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 9, Part 3. Polygonaceae-Myriaceae. Pope GV, Polhill RM, Martins ES. 2006.

Type
Type from Europe.
Morphology General Habit
A glabrous prostrate to decumbent annual herb
Morphology Stem
Stems up to 1 m long, much branched, becoming somewhat woody at the base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subsessile, 1–4 × 0.4–8(1.8) cm, lanceolate or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, those of main stem 2–3 times as long those of flowering branches
Morphology Leaves Ocrea
Ocrea silvery hyaline at least in the upper part, 5–8 mm long, lacerate, with brownish veins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in sessile or subsessile axillary fascicles; fascicles 2–5-flowered, surrounded by leafy bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth 2.5–4 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes greenish with white or pinkish margins, 1.5–3 mm long, imbricate in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6; filaments up to 2.5 mm long, filiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 1–2 mm long; styles 3, free, ± sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nut dull brown, 2.5–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm, trigonous, with 3 equal concave sides, punctate.
Ecology
An introduced weed of cultivated and disturbed land, in winter-wheat irrigation furrows and along railway lines; 1370–1460 m.
Distribution
A native of temperate Europe, but has become a cosmopolitan weed. ZIM W, ZIM C Zimbabwe
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2600–2600 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 2600 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0