Persicaria orientalis (L.) Spach, Polygonaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Polygonum orientale L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: hong liao

English: kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate, lady's thumb, prince's-feather, prince's-plume, princess-feather

French: bâton de St.-Jean, monte-au-ciel, persicaire du Levant, renouée d'Orient, renouée orientale

Japanese: o-ke-tade

Spanish: disciplinas de monja, gitanas, golillas de corte

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Hairy, fibrous-rooted annual with erect stems 20-150-(250) cm tall. Leaves on main stem similar to those on branches; petiole to c. 10 cm long, densely hispid. Lamina 7-25 x 4-17 cm, ovate, entire, with margin and veins densely hispid above and below, otherwise hairs sparser; base rounded to cordate, broadly cuneate on inflorescence leaves; apex cuspidate. Ochreae c. 2 cm long on main part of stem, green, with apical lobes prominently setose. Inflorescence. a large open panicle with densely hairy branches terminating in dense pendulous spikes (1)-3-8 cm long; pedicels to 5 mm long, enclosed by bracts until anthesis; bracts 4-6 mm long, scarious, with appressed hairs, densely ciliate. Perianth 3-5 mm long, crimson in bud, somewhat paler at anthesis, accrescent, eglandular; segments broad-ovate to broad-elliptic, imbricate. Nut c. 4 mm long, broad-ovoid and ± biconvex, glossy black, with a shallow depression in the middle on each side" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 973).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "waste land, coastal reclamation ground, gardens" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 973).  In Papua New Guinea, "a swamp plant, becoming a weed of grazing land during dry seasons when the swamps recede"  (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 139).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Asia and Australia, widely cultivated & naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 139) As Polygonum orientale L. At low altitudes.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 123) In open wet places along streams at low and medium altitudes.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
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)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 181)
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)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 973)
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)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

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