GIANT KNOTWEED

Fallopia sachalinensis

Dock & Knotweed Family [Polygonaceae]  

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flower
flower8white		 inner
inner8green		 morph
morph8actino		 petals
petalsZ5		 stem
stem8round		 stem
stem8hollow

2nd June 2010, Waberthwaite Hall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
A young plant, not fully grown. Large leaves sparse up the thick stiff stem. Potentially grows to 3m.


2nd June 2010, Waberthwaite Hall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The leaves are large, a foot or more long, heart-shaped and pointed with a conspicuous groove along the middle. Knots (like grass knots) are apparent at intervals up the stem, some having leaf stems coming from them. These knots give the plant its name 'knotweed'.


2nd June 2010, Waberthwaite Hall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The leaves droop downwards. The top of the plant has a typical knotweed stance. Note veins more visible by transmitted light in leaf top left.


2nd June 2010, Waberthwaite Hall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The leaf is larger than the outstretched hand. Purple veins on leaf; none on hand. Watch hand says user still has a long way to walk to Black Combe from here and he'd better get a move on!


2nd June 2010, Waberthwaite Hall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Purple veins on leaf. Some seem shiny, others matt.


2nd June 2010, Waberthwaite Hall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
One of the many knots on the stem, which occur at intervals of about a foot, some containing a stalk to a leaf as does this one. Stems have vertical whitish streaks. Leaf stems are reddish.

Hybridises with : Japanese Knotweed to produce Fallopia × bohemica (Fallopia japonica × bohemica).

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : It's is very tall, over 1.5m and it is not the umbellifer Giant Hogweed.

Unlike Japanese Knotweed, it is far less invasive or colony-forming, and as such, is also much less common.

Not to be confused semantically with : Knotgrasses, which although they belong to the same Dock & Knotweed Family, belong to a differing Species, namely Polygonium [they both have similar names]. Nor with Knapweeds such as Common Knapweed mor Greater Knapweed.

The Species name Fallopia also includes Black Bindweed and Russian Vine.

Distribution
family8Dock & Knotweed family8Polygonaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Fallopia
Fallopia

GIANT KNOTWEED

Fallopia sachalinensis

Dock & Knotweed Family [Polygonaceae]  

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