Southern jointweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern jointweed |
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Polygonum serotinum, often called southern jointweed or American jointweed, is a type of flowering plant. It is part of the knotweed family. This family includes many plants that often have stems with noticeable "joints" or nodes.
This plant naturally grows in the southeastern parts of the United States. You can also find it in some scattered areas further west, reaching into New Mexico. Southern jointweed prefers to grow in dry, sandy places.
Discovering Southern Jointweed
The southern jointweed was first officially described in 1820. A scientist named Constantine Samuel Rafinesque gave it its first scientific name.
How Scientists Name Plants
For a while, this plant was placed in a different group of plants called Polygonella. It was known as Polygonella americana then.
But in 2015, scientists used new methods to study plants. They used something called molecular phylogenetic studies. This means they looked closely at the DNA of plants. By studying DNA, scientists can understand how different plants are related to each other.
These studies showed that the Polygonella group actually belonged inside the larger Polygonum group. So, the southern jointweed was moved to its current scientific name, Polygonum serotinum. This shows how science keeps learning and updating our understanding of the natural world.
