Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Persicaria chinensis
(L.) Nakai, Polygonaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 14 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Polygonum chinense L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: huo tan mu

English: Chinese knotweed, red bush

French: liane rouge

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Perennial herbs or subshrubs; stems scandent or prostrate, with ascending lateral branches, usually glabrous. Leaves broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, (4-) 8-12 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, glabrous or with a few fleshy hairs on nerves of lower surface, apex acuminate, base truncate-cuneate, petioles 1.5-2 cm long, ocreae membranous, 10-20 mm long, glabrous, apex obliquely truncate. Flowers 10-20 in terminal, subglobose spikes, these cymose or paniculate, peduncles usually sparsely glandular pubescent; tepals white or rarely somewhat pinkish, 3-4 mm long, enlarging and becoming fleshy and dark purple or bluish in fruit. Nuts dull black, trigonous, 3-4 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1063).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "sparingly naturalized in agricultural lands and disturbed areas, 60-520 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1063).  In Papua New Guinea (native), "in forest, particularly in natural clearings, and in regrowth, abandoned gardens and at roadsides, mostly at altitudes 1000-2500 m"  (Womersley, 1978; p. 234).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical and subtropical eastern Asia (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1063).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island introduced
invasive
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1063, 1888)
Voucher cited: Mikami s.n. (BISH)
Sparingly naturalized.
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island introduced
invasive
Imada, Clyde T./James, Shelly A./Kennedy, Barbara H. (2008) (p. 13)
Voucher cited: C. Imada 2007-09 (BISH)
Papua New Guinea
Bougainville Islands
Bougainville Island native
Womersley, John S., ed. (1978) (p. 234)
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)
Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island) native
Womersley, John S., ed. (1978) (p. 234)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands   Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 122)
In thickets and forests at medium and higher altitudes, 1,200 to 2,400 m.
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
China
China
China (People's Republic of) native
Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
"Wet valleys, grassy slopes, mixed forests, thickets in valleys, mountain slopes; sea level to 3000 m".
China
China
Hong Kong native
Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 82)
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan
Japan
Japan native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
North Korea
North Korea
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea
South Korea
South Korea (Republic of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (Republic of) introduced
invasive
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 68)
Naturalised
Taiwan
Taiwan Island
Taiwan Island native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
La Réunion (France)
La Réunion Island
La Réunion Island introduced
invasive
Lavergne, Christophe (2006)
"Naturalisé/±envahissant".

Control:  If you know of control methods for Persicaria chinensis, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 14 AUG 2008 and was last updated on 24 APR 2010.