Prostrate knotweed

Polygonum aviculare L.
Polygonaceae (Smartweed family)

Life cycle

Prostrate, mat-forming summer annual.

Leaves

Alternate, narrow oval to oblong leaves with pointed tips, smooth margins and short petioles.

Stems

Prostrate, tough, wiry stems with distinct nodes are highly branched and mat-forming. Plants perform well in compacted areas. A membranous sheath (ocrea) surrounds the stem at the base of each petiole.

Flowers and fruit

Small, inconspicuous flowers are white to pinkish and clustered in the leaf axils. The seed is enclosed in a single-seeded, dark reddish brown, three-sided fruit.