Small knotweed
Polygonum plebeium

Family: Polygonaceae

What it is like

A small herb. It lays along the ground. It grows 15 cm high. The leaves are narrow. They do not have leaf stalks. There are leaf like structures at the base of the leaf stalk. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. They are pink.

Chemical composition (after Hooper): Water = 69.36% (fresh). Fat = 2.95% (dry). Albumenoids = 17.38% (dry). Carbohydrates = 50.37% (dry). Fibre = 16.15% (dry). Ash = 15.15% (dry). Nitrogen = 2.78% (dry). Phosphoric acid = .61% (dry). Silicates = 3.27% (dry). There are about 50 Polygonum species. The Tasmanian reference may be Polygonum arenaria

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Nepal it grows to about 3200 m altitude. It grows in open places. It grows in damp places. It grows in the northern dried parts of West Africa. In Africa it grows between 600-2,400 m above sea levels. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Central Africa, China, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Sikkim, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The soft and tender parts are cooked as a vegetable. (The leaves are bitter when grown in dry places.) The freshly harvested leaves can be stored for 4-5 days. The seeds are crushed and cooked as damper.

A locally important wild vegetable in times of scarcity. It is normally only occasionally eaten.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, stems, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed or root suckers.

Its other names

Local names

Baluni sag, Bandoki, Banjaluk, Bethe, Chakai madranga sag, Chemiti sag, Chemti sag, Chimtee sag, Chimti sag, Choti machhaichhie, Chotimachhachhie, Droonk, Dubia sag, Gavati-paral, Gorakh pan, Gull srah, Jaloo, Kethu, Khowar, Macheti, Machichi, Mechheia sag, Meree arak, Merie arak, Mooze-ara, Munia a, Muthi saga, Nga-yo-pin, Nghe thongthuong, Okthum, Pani jaluk, Pa-zun-chi-gyi, Pimpari, Pipra, Pok arkha, Pok arxa, Raniphul, Siranige soppu, Sukul jhar, Zinako okhard

Synonyms

Polygonum aviculare L.; Polygonum cliffortioides Meissner; Polygonum dryandri Sprengel; Polygonum elegans Aiton; Polygonum herniarioides Delile; Polygonum roxburghii Meiss.; and others