Shasta knotweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shasta knotweed |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Polygonum
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| Species: |
shastense
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Polygonum shastense, also called Shasta knotweed, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the knotweed family. This plant grows naturally in parts of southwestern Oregon, northwestern Nevada, and northern and central California. You can find it in rocky, gravelly mountain areas. It can grow very high up, sometimes as tall as 3,300 meters (about 11,000 feet)! It's most common in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Its name, shastense, comes from Mount Shasta in Shasta County, California, where it was found.
What Does Shasta Knotweed Look Like?
Polygonum shastense is a small, pretty plant that lives for many years. It is a type of shrub. It has tough, brown stems that branch out. These stems can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. They often spread along the ground or stand up a little bit. Older plants can have wide, woody, gray bases.
Leaves and Stems
The stems have many leaves that are all about the same size. They are not bunched up or smaller near the ends of the stems. Each leaf is shaped like a spear, called lance-shaped. They have two lines (veins) that run side-by-side. These veins separate three raised areas on the top of the leaf. Each leaf is about 5 to 8 millimeters (0.20 to 0.32 inches) long. When new leaves grow, they are often slightly curled and folded in half. The leaves also have special parts called stipules. These are widened into a thin, papery cover called an ochrea that wraps around the base of each leaf.
Flowers
The flowers of the Shasta knotweed grow in small groups. You can find them where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower is just under one centimeter wide. It has five round petals. These petals can be white with a green stripe, or pink with a dark stripe. Each flower has 5 to 8 stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. It also has a triangular pistil with a three-lobed style, which is the part that receives pollen. Some plants might have only white flowers, some only pink, and others might have a mix of both colors!
Images for kids
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Leaves, with folds and parallel veins
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A low-growing P. shastense plant
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A close-up of a flower and stem
