Polygonum minus Huds., Polygonaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Persicaria minor (Huds.) Opiz

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: mamaca, mamaka

Chuukese: opulöulöu, teerow

English: slender persicaria, small smartweed, small water-pepper, smartweed

French: petite renouée, renouée fluette

Kwara‘ae: fa‘i ngwagwali

Palauan: sekes

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Perennial herb, prostrate, decumbent or ascending to c. 1 m; stems very slender (c. 1 mm thick) to fairly stout (4 mm), glabrous or nearly so.  Leaves shortly petiolate, lanceolate to almost linear, mostly 5-12 cm long; dotted with glands, with upward-pointing appressed hairs on petioles, margins and larger nerves, sometimes lacking on upper surface and sparse beneath, rarely dense on and between nerves on both surfaces; sheaths short, glabrous to with dense appressed hairs; ocreas tubular, 8-20 mm long, strongly nerved, clothed sparsely to very densely with appressed hairs, transversely truncate, with fine but stiff bristles, 5-10 mm long (rarely shorter, to 1 mm) from apex.  Inflorescence apical, of 1 to several lax to fairly dense pseudospikes, 1-6 cm long; bracts funnel-shaped, obliquely truncate, ciliate on margins, 3-6-flowered. Perianth white or pink, 1.5-2 mm long, increasing to c. 2.5 mm after anthesis; stamens 6; styles 2.  Fruit lenticular with strongly convex elliptic faces, rather sharp-angled near apex (sometimes a few trigonous), 1.5-2 x 1-1.2 mm, black or dark brown, shining"  (Womersley, 1978; pp. 236-238).

Habitat/ecology:  "Roadsides, swamps, ditches, etc." (Fernald, 1970; p. 584).  In Guam, "occasional, locally abundant, along freshwater streams" (Stone, 1970; p. 264).  In Papua New Guinea (native), "found from sea level to an altitude of 2500 m.  At the lower levels a plant of distinctly wet situations, such as swamps, ditches, stream and lake margins, but at higher altitudes also a weed of cultivation, plantations and pastures"  (Womersley, 1978; p. 238).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe. Fosberg et al. (1979; p. 66) and Stone (1970; p. 264) list var. procerum (Danser) Steward as native to Micronesia.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Dublon (Tonowas) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Lukunor (Núkúnooch) Atoll [xxx]	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Namoluk (Nómwunuuk) Atoll		Marshall, Mae/Fosberg, F. R. (1975) (p. 33) Var. procerum (Danser) Steward. Voucher cited: Marshall 79 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Namonuito (Namonweito, Nómwun Wiité) Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Puluwat (Pwonowót) Atoll	native	Manner, H. I./Mallon, E. (1989) (p. 44) Var. procerum (Danser) Steward. Voucher cited: Manner & Mallon 290 (GUAM).
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Satawan Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Udot Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Ulalu (Romonum) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Ifalik (Ifaluk) Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Lamotrek Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Woleai Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 264) Var. procerum (Danser) Steward; voucher cited: Stone 4446 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66) Var. procerum (Danser) Steward
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: PTBG 32617) Taxon name on voucher: Polygonum minus var procerus
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 117) Voucher cited: Bougier s.n.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	native	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 104)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1970) (voucher ID: BNM 620) Taxon name on voucher: Polygonum minus var procerum
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1983) (voucher ID: PTBG 23517) Taxon name on voucher: Polygonum minus var procerus
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Peleliu (Beliliou) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 66)
Papua New Guinea Bougainville Islands	Bougainville Island		Foreman, D. B. (1971) (p. 53)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	Womersley, John S., ed. (1978) (p. 238)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 290)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 123) In open wet places, altitude 1,200 to 1,500 m.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 101) var. procerum (Danser) Steward
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Womersley, John S., ed. (1978) (p. 238)

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)	Australia (continental)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 289)
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 290)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 290)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Polygonum minus, please let us know.