ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Polygonum tenue
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    POLYGONALES
 FAMILY:   POLYGONACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Polygonum tenue
 AUTHORITY:  Michx.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    SLENDER KNOTWEED
    SLIM KNOTWEED
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: POTE2
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       SAND FOREST
         DRY
     SAVANNA
     PRIMARY
       GLADE
         SANDSTONE
       BLUFF
         CLIFF (ROCKY BLUFF)
           SANDSTONE
     CULTURAL
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
         ABANDONED CROPLAND
         ABANDONED FORAGELAND
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     CENTRAL
        Upland oak
           White/Black/Northern Red-  Oak
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           BOND            BOONE           BUREAU          CALHOUN
   CARROLL         CASS            CHRISTIAN       COOK            CRAWFORD
   CUMBERLAND      DUPAGE          EFFINGHAM       FAYETTE         GALLATIN
   HANCOCK         HARDIN          HENDERSON       HENRY           IROQUOIS
   JACKSON         JOHNSON         KANKAKEE        LAKE            LASALLE
   LEE             MCDONOUGH       MARION          MASON           MENARD
   MERCER          MONROE          MONTGOMERY      MORGAN          OGLE
   PEORIA          POPE            PUTNAM          RANDOLPH        ROCK ISLAND
   ST. CLAIR       SALINE          TAZEWELL        UNION           WHITESIDE
   WILL            WINNEBAGO
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear   Oblong   Lanceolate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Raceme
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Incomplete  (no petals)   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Red   Green   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Annual
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      7         MONTH END-      9
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is usually distributed in chert, or granite glades,
     rocky prairies, and gravel bars along streams; locally,
     disturbed sandy soil where there is little competition from
     other vegetation; sandy roadside cuts; sterile sandy old fields;
     scrubby sandy woods with Quercus velutina; crevices of sandstone
     blufftops.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     GROWTH OF SPECIES IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS:
          GRAVEL         No data entered    SAND           No data entered
          SANDY LOAM     No data entered    LOAM           No data entered
          CLAY LOAM      No data entered    CLAY           No data entered
          DENSE CLAY     No data entered    ORGANIC SOIL   No data entered
          NEUTRAL pH     No data entered    ACIDIC SOIL    Good
          EXTREMELY ACID No data entered    SALINE SOIL    No data entered
          SODIC SOIL     No data entered    SODIC-SALINE   No data entered
          ROCKY OUTCROPS Good               GENTLE SLOPES  No data entered
          MODERATE SLOPE No data entered    STEEP SLOPES   No data entered
     HABITAT:   Dry   Xeric
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   no
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     EDIBLE:  Yes
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  NO     LANDSCAPING:  NO
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Fruits can be used to make a meal or flour (Fernald et al., 1958).
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  No data    PROTEIN VALUE: No data
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):   Suspect
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Non-weedy
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
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.
Mohlenbrock, R. H.  1967-continuing.  The illustrated flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
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.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Polygonum tenue
 
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 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