ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Polygonum erectum
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    POLYGONALES
 FAMILY:   POLYGONACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Polygonum erectum
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    ERECT KNOTWEED
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: POER2
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       FLOODPLAIN FOREST
       FLATWOODS
       THICKETS
     WETLAND
       BORDER OF LAKE
     CULTURAL
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOONE           BUREAU          CALHOUN
   CASS            CHAMPAIGN       CHRISTIAN       COLES           COOK
   CRAWFORD        DEKALB          DOUGLAS         DUPAGE          FAYETTE
   FULTON          GREENE          GRUNDY          HANCOCK         HARDIN
   JACKSON         JEFFERSON       JO DAVIESS      KANE            KANKAKEE
   KENDALL         LAKE            LAWRENCE        LEE             LIVINGSTON
   MCDONOUGH       MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN
   MARSHALL        MASON           OGLE            PEORIA          PULASKI
   PUTNAM          ST. CLAIR       STARK           STEPHENSON      UNION
   WARREN          WILL
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Oblong   Lanceolate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Raceme
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Incomplete  (no petals)   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Red   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Regarding flower merous, it may be 3 or 5.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Annual
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      8         MONTH END-     10
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Achenes are dimorphic, either shining, punctate, dark
     brown, broadly ovoid, included at 2.5 mm. long; or dull brown,
     ovoid, exerted, 3-3.5 mm. long.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed in low damp woods, alluvial banks and roadside
     thickets; locally common in in barnyards, roadsides, sidewalks,
     lawns.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   no
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:    No data entered
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Species is possible cause of hayfever and dermatitis (Stephens); possible
     use of leaves as peppery seasoning and starchy fruits.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Species is possible accumulator of toxic levels of nitrates
     and acts as a photosensitizer.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Economic
 
 
 GENERAL COMMENTS:
     Regarding weediness, species may be economic or colonizing.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Agricultural Experiment Station.  1981.  Weeds of the North Central States.
     Bulletin 772.  College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-
     Champaign, Urbana.  303 pp.
Gleason, H. A.  1952.  The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the
     northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.  3 vols.  The New York
     Botanical Garden, New York.
Kingsbury, J. M.  1964.  Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.
     Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.  626 pp.
Fernald, M. L., A. C. Kinsey, and R. C. Rollins.  1958.  Edible wild plants of
     eastern North America.  Harper and Brothers, New York.  452 pp.
 
 OTHER REFERENCES:
     Stephens, H.A. 1980. Poisonous Plants of the Central United States.
          Regent Press of Kansas. Lawrence, KA. 165 pp.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Polygonum erectum
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015