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Photographer: Emmet J. Judziewicz
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Family Polygonaceae
Polygonum aviculare L.
common knotweed, prostrate knotweed
Polygonum: derived from the Greek words polys, "many," and gonu, "knee or joint," hence "many joints" because of the thickened joints on the stem
aviculare: relating to small birds
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| Status: | Introduced - naturalized |
| Plant: | sprawling, annual, 1'-6' long forb; stems with many branches, nodes thin and translucent, becoming jagged |
| Flower: | white to pink-edged, 5-parted, 1/16"-1/8" long, petals and petal-like sepals with flat tips, joined at the base, the outer 3 not longer than the other 2  ; inflorescence small clusters from the leaf axils; blooms Aug.-Oct. |
| Fruit: | dark brown, dull, dry seed |
| Leaf: | alternate, flat, jointed at the base; early leaves lance-like and 3 times as large as the later ones |
| Habitat: | disturbed sites |
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