Polygonum

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens from wild populations. Cultivated occurrences are not mapped. View county names by placing the cursor over the map.

Contains 12 accepted taxa overall.

Family:	POLYGONACEAE
Genus:	Polygonum L.
Common Name:	KNOTWEED; JOINTWEED
Genus Notes:	It has been recommended that Polygonella be included within Polygonum, as they share dimorphic tepals with a single main vein, sinuate-margined epidermal tepal cells, irregularly ridged cuticle, and filaments with a dilated base and the outer shorter than the inner ones (Ronse De Craene et al. 2004; Schuster et al. 2011, 2015). Plastid sequences have provided support for uniting Polygonella with Polygonum, although nuclear data (ITS) have so far not resolved the relationships.
Specimen:	View USF Herbarium specimens of this genus

Classification

Division
Class
Sub Class
Order	CARYOPHYLLALES
Family	POLYGONACEAE
Genus	*Polygonum*

Citation

Citation	POLYGONUM Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 359. 1753.
Basionym:	**
Type:	TYPE: Polygonum aviculare Linnaeus, typ. cons.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Species

Scientific Name	Common Name	Herbarium Specimens	Photos
Polygonum argyrocoleon	SILVERSHEATH KNOTWEED
Polygonum aviculare	PROSTRATE KNOTWEED
Polygonum basiramia	FLORIDA JOINTWEED; TUFTED WIREWEED
Polygonum delopyrum	HAIRY JOINTWEED
Polygonum dentoceras	SMALL'S JOINTWEED; WOODY WIREWEED; SANDLACE
Polygonum fimbriatum	SANDHILL JOINTWEED
Polygonum glaucum	GLAUCOUS KNOTWEED
Polygonum nesomii	LARGEFLOWER JOINTWEED; SANDHILL WIREWEED
Polygonum pinicola	TALL JOINTWEED
Polygonum polygamum var. brachystachyum	OCTOBER FLOWER
Polygonum polygamum var. polygamum	OCTOBER FLOWER
Polygonum smallianum	LARGELEAF JOINTWEED

Identification Key

Genus Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Avicularia	Avicularia (Meisner) Börner, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 21: 277. 1912.	BASIONYM: Polygonum Linnaeus, sect. Avicularia Meisner, Monogr. Polyg. 85. 1836.	TYPE: = Polygonum Linnaeus 1753.
Centinodium	Centinodium Friche-Joset & Montandon, Syn. Fl. Jura 270. 1856.		TYPE: Centinodium axillare Friche-Joset & Montandon 1856, nom. illegit. (Polygonum aviculare Linnaeus 1753.) = Polygonum Linnaeus 1753.
Cnopos	Cnopos Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 13. 1837 ("1836").		TYPE: Cnopos ramosissimum (Michaux) Rafinesque (Polygonum ramosissimum Michaux)
Delopyrum	Delopyrum Small, Fl. Miami 65. 1913.		TYPE: Non designatus.
Dentoceras	Dentoceras Small, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 51: 388. 1924.		TYPE: Dentoceras myriophylla Small 1924.

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For more information, contact: Richard Wunderlin or Bruce Hansen, Alan Franck, or Karla Alvarado

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Citation Information:

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2024. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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