Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Persicaria barbata

Persicaria barbata, commonly known as bearded knotweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to the Arabian Peninsula and much of tropical and subtropical Asia, and has also been introduced to parts of Africa and the Pacific islands. The plant typically grows in seasonally dry tropical regions, where it occurs as an erect or sometimes prostrate annual herb, 30–60 cm tall, with hairless, line-grooved stems and lance-shaped leaves up to 15 cm long. In some descriptions it is noted as a perennial, producing robust, loosely branched stems 40–90 cm tall from a creeping rhizomatous rootstock.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
232 w
Citations
9
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Persicaria barbata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Persicaria
Species:
P. barbata
Binomial name
Persicaria barbata
Synonyms2
  • Pogalis barbata (L.) Raf.
  • Polygonum barbatum L.

Persicaria barbata, commonly known as bearded knotweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae.345 It is native to the Arabian Peninsula and much of tropical and subtropical Asia, and has also been introduced to parts of Africa and the Pacific islands.2 The plant typically grows in seasonally dry tropical regions, where it occurs as an erect or sometimes prostrate annual herb, 30–60 cm tall, with hairless, line-grooved stems and lance-shaped leaves up to 15 cm long.6 In some descriptions it is noted as a perennial, producing robust, loosely branched stems 40–90 cm tall from a creeping rhizomatous rootstock.7

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Varieties

Two varieties are accepted.2

  • Persicaria barbata var. barbata
  • Persicaria barbata var. gracilis (Danser) H.Hara
References

References

  1. Fl. E. Himalaya: 70 (1966)
  2. "Persicaria barbata (L.) H.Hara | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  3. "bearded knotweed (Persicaria barbata)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  4. "Persicaria barbata in Flora of Pakistan @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  5. CABI (2019-11-19). "Polygonum barbatum (knot grass)". CABI Compendium. CABI Compendium 42686. doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.42686.
  6. "Persicaria barbata - Bearded Knotweed". www.flowersofindia.net. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  7. "Persicaria barbata - Useful Tropical Plants". tropical.theferns.info. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
External links