Common Name: Chinese Knotweed

General Information

Persicaria chinensis is a perennial plant, usually with a climbing habit, producing much-branched stems from stout, underground rhizomes. The stems can be 0.3 - 6 metres long and often become woody at the base. At higher elevations the plant is often small and erect in habit[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines

Habitat

Very common in brushwood, forest borders, open forest, riverbanks, and tea- and Cinchona-plantations; throughout Indo-China; at elevations from sea level to 3,300 metres[]. Damp wasteground in lowlands and mountains in Malesia[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Persicaria chinensis is found from the temperate climate of Korea to the tropics of southern Asia, at elevations from sea level to more than 3,000 metres.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. A sour flavour[]. The tepals become blue-black and fleshy, enclosing the seeds as they ripen - they can be eaten as a fruit[, ].

Tender leaves and young shoots are pickled and eaten[].

We have no specific information for this species, but the seed of most, if not all, members of the genus is edible both raw and cooked, and is potentially a good source of amino acids. Unfortunately the seed is also usually rather small and fiddly to utilize[].

Medicinal

The plant is antiscorbutic, tonic, vulnerary[]. A decoction of the plant is used as a depurative[].
Externally, the decoction is used to treat eczema of the ears[].
The juice of the plant is employed in the treatment of eye diseases[].

The leaves are antibacterial. Applied topicaly as a poultice or as a juice, they are an effective treatment for conditiona such as furunculosis, impetigo, scalp scabs, cold sore, eczema, and streptococcal skin infections[]. A poultice is applied to the abdomen as a treatment for stomach-ache[].
Snake-bite is treated by an oral administration of the juice of fresh leaves (20 - 30g), the residue being applied to the bite as a plaster[].
A decoction of the dried leaves is indicated for the treatment of boils·and dysentery[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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