Polygonum aviculare or Common Knotgrass is a plant related to buckwheat and dock. It is also called birdweed, pigweed and lowgrass. It is an annual found in fields and wasteland, with white flowers from June to October.
| Common Knotgrass | |
|---|---|
| |
| Polygonum aviculare | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | P. aviculare
|
| Binomial name | |
| Polygonum aviculare | |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polygonum_aviculare.
Folklore
Nicholas Culpeper states that the plant is ruled astrologically by Saturn and Capricorn.
Herbalism
Culpeper recommended knotweed to cure the spitting of blood. Modern herbalists use it to treat dysentery, excessive menstrual flow, lung disorders, bronchitis and jaundice, and gall and kidney stones. Not all of these uses are supported by scientific evidence.
The plant is an astringent, coagulant, diuretic and expectorant.
Subspecies
- Polygonum aviculare subsp. aviculare
- Polygonum aviculare subsp. depressum (Meisn.) Arcang.
- Polygonum aviculare subsp. rurivagum (Jord. ex Boreau) Berher in Louis
Source
- Howard, Michael. Traditional Folk Remedies, (Century, 1987); p. 162.
 | This Caryophyllales article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |