Polygonum phytolaccifolium
| Polygonum phytolaccifolium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Polygonum |
| Species: | P. phytolaccifolium |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygonum phytolaccifolium Meisn. ex Small | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Aconogonum phytolaccifolium | |
Polygonum phytolaccifolium is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common name poke knotweed. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in subalpine and alpine climates in mountains, rocky plateaus, and other regions.
It is a sturdy perennial herb producing an erect stem from a fleshy caudex. It may exceed 1.5 meters in height. The lance-shaped or pointed oval leaves are 10 to 20 centimeters long and borne on petioles. The leaves have large stipules which form reddish ochrea up to 3 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a long array of branching cluster of many white or greenish flowers. Each flower is about 4 millimeters wide and has tiny protruding stamens tipped with yellow or pink anthers.