Polygonum persicaria
| Polygonum persicaria | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Fall |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Polygonum persicaria (common name: red leg)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1] but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil in sun or part shade[2]. Repays generous treatment[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].
Range: Temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, including Britain.
Habitat: Damp shady places[4]. A common weed of cultivated land, avoiding shade[1].
Edibility: Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[5][6][7][8]. They contain about 1.9% fat, 5.4% pectin, 3.2% sugars, 27.6% cellulose, 1% tannin[9].
Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal: The leaves are astringent, diuretic, rubefacient and vermifuge[10][11][12][9][13]. An infusion has been used as a treatment for gravel and stomach pains[14]. A decoction of the plant, mixed with flour, has been used as a poultice to help relieve pain[14]. A decoction of the plant has been used as a foot and leg soak in the treatment of rheumatism[14]. The crushed leaves have been rubbed on poison ivy rash[14].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the plant when alum is used as a mordant[15].
Pollinators: Self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people._x005F
Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whil
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Harris, Ben. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health, 1973.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ de Bray, Lys. The Wild Garden.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.