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Polygonum perfoliatum L.

Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed,

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassCaryophyllidaeCacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
OrderCaryophyllalesIncludes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
FamilyPolygonaceaeKnotweed or smartweed family
GenusPolygonumGreek poly, “many,” and gonu, “knee,” for the swollen jointed stems
Speciesperfoliatum“Perforated,” because the stem “perforates” the leaves

About plant names...

This Asian vine, introduced to North America in the 1930s, is spreading rapidly, and considered a serious invasive threat.

Identification: I first encountered this vine on a rainy afternoon at my sister's home in Phoenix, MD. It had engulfed nearly everything else, except for tall black walnut trees, in the wooded area behind her yard. It grows up to six inches per day, and is as effective as oriental bittersweet or kudzu at overwhelming and killing native plants. Mile-a-minute vine has leaves that are almost perfect triangles, small curved barbs along its stems, and saucer-shaped leaves (ocreas) at its stem nodes. It develops tightly packed clusters of 10-30 lobed blue fruits, each about ⅛-¼″ (3.2-6.3 mm) around.

Online References:

Wikipedia

The Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project (or download this PDF)

The Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group Least Wanted List

The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (PDF)

Wikimedia Commons

Forestry Images

EFloras

Polygonum perfoliatum (Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed, )

10/4/2010 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Mary­land · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm)

Polygonum perfoliatum (Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed, )

10/4/2010 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Mary­land · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm)

Ampelygonum perfoliatum (L.) Roberty & Vautier

Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross

 

Polygonum perfoliatum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 29 Jul 2023.

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Polygonum perfoliatum (Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed, )

10/4/2010 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Mary­land · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm)

Polygonum perfoliatum (Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed, )

10/4/2010 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Mary­land · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Polygonum perfoliatum (Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed, )

10/4/2010 · Susan and Raimond’s, Phoenix, Mary­land · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

Polygonum perfoliatum (Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed, )

6/19/2009 · By Jacquelyn Boyt

Range:

About this map...