Persicaria attenuata (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Persicaria attenuata (R. Br.) Sojak

Family: Polygonaceae

Synonyms

• Polygonum attenuatum R. Br.,
• P. pulchrum Blume.

Vernacular names

• Watersmart weed, hairy knotweed (En)
• Indonesia: jankong, jukut carang (West Java), bendet (Java)
• Malaysia: johong beraleh
• Philippines: subsuban (Tagalog), kakabkab (Maguindanao)
• Laos: nea paew
• Thailand: uangphetma, phakphai-nam, dokkhaophot
• Vietnam: rau nghể.

Distribution

Tropical Africa, Asia and Australia.

Uses

Leaves are eaten in salads in Indo-China and also in Africa (Benin).

Observations

• Robust perennial, pubescent herb, up to 1 m tall, older stems hollow, often rooting at the nodes.
• Leaf-blade narrow-elliptical to narrow-ovate, 5-25 cm × 1-5 cm, often with long white hairs on both sides; petiole up to 3.5 cm long, sheathing at base and with a prominent ocrea.

Often forming large patches on and beside water, up to 1000 m altitude. Three subspecies have been distinguished, mainly differing in hairiness and leaf form. In tropical Africa ssp. africana K.L. Wilson, in tropical Asia and Australia ssp. attenuata and ssp. pulchra (Blume) K.L. Wilson. In Vietnam P. odorata (Lour.) Sojak is used similarly to P. attenuata.

Selected sources

6, 7, 68, 95.