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Scientific Name
Synonyms
Common Names
Family
Origin
Naturalised Distribution
Notes
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Japanese knotweed
Persicaria capitata

Scientific Name

Persicaria capitata (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross

Synonyms

Polygonum capitatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

Common Names

Japanese knot weed, Japanese knotweed, knotweed, persicaria, pink-head knotweed, pinkhead knotweed, pinkhead smartweed

Family

Polygonaceae

Origin

Native to China, the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. Bhutan, northern India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and south-eastern Asia (i.e. Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia).

Naturalised Distribution

This species is becoming widely naturalised in southern and eastern Australia. It is currently naturalised in south-eastern Queensland, in the coastal and sub-coastal districts of northern and central New South Wales and in the coastal districts of south-western Western Australia. It is also sparingly naturalised in south-eastern South Australia.

Naturalised overseas in the USA (i.e. California, Oregon and Louisiana), New Zealand, La R union and Hawaii.

Notes

Japanese knotweed (Persicaria capitata) is regarded as an environmental weed in New South Wales.



infestation (Photo: Sheldon Navie)


creeping habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)


leaves with darker v-shaped markings (Photo: Sheldon Navie)


flower clusters (Photo: Sheldon Navie)


close-up of young flowers (Photo: Sheldon Navie)


close-up of seeds (Photo: Jose Hernandez at USDA PLANTS Database)


young plant (Photo: Sheldon Navie)