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climbing bindweed, climbing false-buckwheat

giant knotweed, giant wing-knotweed, Sakhalin knotweed

Habit Herbs, perennial or annual, not rhizomatous, 1–5 m. Stems scandent or sprawling, freely branched, herbaceous, glabrous or papillose to scabrid, not glaucous. Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 2–4(–5) m. Stems usually clustered, erect, sparingly branched, herbaceous, stiff, glabrous, glaucous.
Leaves

ocrea usually deciduous, tan or brown, cylindric to funnelform, 1–6 mm, margins oblique, face not fringed with reflexed hairs and slender bristles at base, otherwise glabrous or scabrid;

petiole 0.5–10 cm, glabrous or scabrid in lines;

blade cordate, truncate-deltate, or hastate, 2–14 × 2–7 cm, base cordate, margins wavy, scabrid, apex acuminate, abaxially and adaxially faces glabrous or papillose to scabrid, not glaucous, the abaxial rarely minutely dotted.

ocrea persistent or deciduous, brownish, cylindric, 6–12 mm, margins oblique, face without reflexed and slender bristles at base, otherwise glabrous or puberulent;

petiole 1–4 cm, glabrous;

blade ovate-oblong, 15–30(–40) × 7–25 cm, base cordate, margins entire, glabrous or scabrous to ciliate, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial face minutely dotted, glaucous, with hairs along veins distinctly multicellular, 0.2–0.6 mm, tips acute to acuminate, adaxial face glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary, erect or spreading, racemelike, 1–28 cm, axes scabrid;

peduncle 0.1–7 cm or absent, scabrid.

axillary, mostly distal, erect or spreading, paniclelike, 3–8 cm, axes puberulent to pubescent;

peduncle 0.1–4 cm or absent, puberulent to reddish-pubescent.

Pedicels

ascending or spreading to reflexed, articulated distally, 4–8 mm, glabrous.

ascending or spreading, articulated proximal to middle, 2–4 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

bisexual, 3–6 per ocreate fascicle;

perianth accrescent in fruit, green to white or pinkish, 3.8–8 mm including stipelike base, glabrous;

tepals elliptic to obovate, apex obtuse to acute, outer 3 winged;

stamens 8;

filaments flattened proximally, pubescent proximally;

styles connate;

stigmas capitate.

bisexual or pistillate, 4–7 per ocreate fascicle;

perianth accrescent in fruit, greenish, 4.5–6.5 mm including stipelike base, glabrous;

tepals obovate to elliptic, apex obtuse to acute, outer 3 winged;

stamens 6–8;

filaments flattened proximally, glabrous;

styles connate basally;

stigmas fimbriate.

Achenes

included, dark brown to black, 2–6 × 1.4–3.5 mm, shiny, smooth; fruiting perianth glabrous, wings undulate or crinkled, rarely flat, (0.7–)1.5–2.1 mm wide, decurrent on stipelike base nearly to articulation, margins wavy-crenate to incised or lacerate, rarely entire.

included, brown, 2.8–4.5 × 1.1–1.8 mm, shiny, smooth; fruiting perianth glabrous, wings flat to undulate, 1.8–2.2 mm wide at maturity, decurrent on stipelike base to articulation, margins entire.

2n

= 20.

= 44, 66, 102, 132 (Japan, Korea).

Fallopia scandens

Fallopia sachalinensis

Phenology Flowering Aug–Nov. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Low habitats Disturbed places
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 0-500 m (0-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; AB; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CT; DE; ID; IL; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MT; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Asia (Japan) [Introduced in North America; introduced in Europe]
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Fallopia scandens has a complex nomenclatural history, which in North America usually involves three taxonomic elements: F. scandens and F. cristata, both native in North America, and F. dumetorum, which is native in Europe. Achene and perianth characters have been used to distinguish these elements, but variable and intergrading morphologies have caused taxonomists to combine them variously. Morphometric (S. T. Kim et al. 2000) and flavonoid (M. H. Kim et al. 2000) studies suggest that F. scandens and F. dumetorum are distinct species. Where F. scandens is absent, European specimens of F. dumetorum are distinctive. This distinction is far less clear in North America, where both species occur. Experience suggests that many North American herbarium specimens attributed to F. dumetorum are misidentified.

Fallopia cristata has been distinguished from F. scandens and F. dumetorum by its smaller fruiting perianths (5–7[–9] mm) bearing narrower (1.2–1.7 mm wide), undulate-crenate or lacerate wings, and smaller achenes (2.1–2.7 mm). Extreme forms are easily identified; some specimens grade gradually into F. scandens, making recognition of F. cristata of questionable utility. S. T. Kim et al. (2000) used morphometric studies as a basis for recommending that F. cristata is best treated as a variety of F. scandens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Fallopia sachalinensis was introduced as a soil binder and garden ornamental. Like F. japonica, it spreads aggressively and has been declared noxious in California, Oregon, and Washington. It hybridizes with F. japonica, yielding F. ×bohemica. The mid-stem inflorescences of F. sachalinensis usually are shorter than the subtending leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 545. FNA vol. 5, p. 542.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Fallopia Polygonaceae > subfam. Polygonoideae > Fallopia
Sibling taxa
F. baldschuanica, F. cilinodis, F. convolvulus, F. dumetorum, F. japonica, F. sachalinensis, F. ×bohemica
F. baldschuanica, F. cilinodis, F. convolvulus, F. dumetorum, F. japonica, F. scandens, F. ×bohemica
Synonyms Polygonum scandens, Bilderdykia cristata, Bilderdykia scandens, Bilderdykia scandens var. cristata, F. cristata, Polygonum cristatum, Polygonum dumetorum var. scandens, Polygonum scandens var. cristatum, Reynoutria scandens, Reynoutria scandens var. cristata, Tiniaria cristata, Tiniaria scandens Polygonum sachalinense, Reynoutria sachalinensis, Tiniaria sachalinensis
Name authority (Linnaeus) Holub: Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 6: 176. (1971) (F. Schmidt) Ronse Decraene: Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 98: 369. (1988)
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