User:Biostudent83/Persicaria chinensis

= Persicaria chinensis =

Persicaria chinensis, commonly known or referred to as the Chinese knotweed or creeping smartweed, is a plant apart of the Polygonaceae family.

Persicaria chinesis is an upright, perennial herb.

Description:
This perennial herb at its base is ligneous and is branded. The glabrous, waxy stem ascends typically 70-100 cm tall anywhere it grows, as the name "creeping" indicates. The petiole is 1- 2.5 cm in length; the ovalular shaped blade is 4-16 in length and is 1.5-8 cm wide. The herb has white and pink flower petals that blossom in pairs of three; its anthers are red and purple in hue.

Taxonomy:
The genus "Persicaria" derives from the Medieval Latin name persicum, meaning "peach". While it's most accepted and recognized by the name Persicaria chinesis, originally published in 1913, it is also referred to as Polygonum chinense.

Distribution:
P. chinesis is native to most of Asia, including China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It has also been introduced to other geographical locations such as Pakistan, Hawaii, and Singapore. Persicaria chinesis are often found in tropical environments that have year-round precipitation and warm temperatures. It favors growth in valleys with substantial precipitation, forest regions, grassy areas, and mountain regions that range from sea level to 3000 m in elevation.

However, the Chinese knotweed is known to be an increasingly invasive species. In 2009, a New Zealand conference article was published confirming the Chinese Knotweed to be an invasive species that they eradicated with foliar spray to prevent growth.

Uses:
Persicaria chinesis is known to be used in traditional Chinese medicines. In a 2012 study, the leaves of P. chinesis were evaluated; the leaf extractions concluded that Persicaria chinesis has effective healing properties against diseases caused by bacterial and fungi diseases. Further, it has been used to treat infections caused by inflammation in the body. In Malaysian and Indian communities, P. chinesis has been used to holistically treat ulcers and diseases within the lungs.