Persicaria barbata (L.) H. Hara
Family
Polygonaceae
Synonyms
Polygonum barbatum L.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia |
Tebok seludang, johong beraleh, panchis-panchis. |
| Indonesia | Salah nyowo, mengkrengan (Javanese), jukut carang (Sundanese). |
| Cambodia |
Kating he. |
| Vietnam | Ng[eer] tr[aws]ng, ng[eer] r[aa]u. |
Geographical Distributions
Persicaria barbata is widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, extending to India, Southeast Asia, Australia and Micronesia.
Description
Persicaria barbata is a robust, rhizomatous and perennial herb that can reach up to 40-80 cm tall. The stems are creeping, ascending to erect, loosely branched, smooth or appressed pubescent.
The leaves are oblong to lance-shaped, measuring 8-15 cm x 1.5-3 cm, with acute base and rarely rounded or cordate, acuminate at apex, often with a brown blotch, appressed pubescent on either surface, at least on the veins, or hairless above, with short petiole, with tubular ocrea which is appressed pubescent and with bristles 1.3-2 cm long on the upper margin. There are 2-8 pseudo-spikes at the top of the stems. They are long cylindrical, dense or lax, with the longer ones measuring 2-6 cm long which is 3 times longer than the thickness while the older ones are 7-8 mm thick. The lower ones are peduncled with obconical bracts, ciliate, appressed pubescent or hairless and 3-5-flowered.
The flowers are 2-3.3 mm long, white, greenish white or pink, not accrescent after anthesis, with 6-7 stamens and 3 styles.
The nutlet is 1.7 mm long, trigonous, black and shining.
Ecology / Cultivation
Persicaria barbata is common in soggy sunny localities along rivers and ditches, from sea level up to 1200 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
