''Reynoutria multiflora'' ( syn. ''Fallopia multiflora'' and ''Polygonum multiflorum'') is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the buckwheat family

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants known Common name, informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The Botanical name, name is Basionym, based on the genus ''Polygonum'', ...

native to central and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It is known by the English common names tuber fleeceflower and Chinese (climbing) knotweed. It is known as ''he shou wu'' (何首烏) in China and East Asia. Another name for the species is ''fo-ti'', which is a misnomer. It can be difficult to prevent the spread of this vine and to remove it once established. The leaves are thin and fragile but the stems, although narrow in diameter, can be very strong.

Description

''Reynoutria multiflora'' is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

growing to tall from a woody

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are long and broad, broad arrowhead-shaped, with an entire margin. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are diameter, white or greenish-white, produced on short, dense

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

s up to long in summer to mid-autumn. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is an

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

long.

In folk belief

In Chinese folklore, it is believed that the root of he shou wu (何首烏, ''Reynoutria multiflora'') can, after a thousand years, transform into a human form, either as a child or an old person. It is also said that Zhang Guolao, one of the

Eight Immortals The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary ''Xian (Taoism), xian (immortals)'' in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the ...

, achieved immortality by consuming the essence of he shou wu. Two types of stories often revolve around the essence of he shou wu. In one version, a monk or Taoist acquires a human-shaped he shou wu and instructs a disciple to cook it. The disciple, tempted, secretly tastes it, becomes immortal, and disappears. In the other version, the essence of he shou wu takes on human form and accompanies a woman. Finding his behavior suspicious, the woman sews a thread into him. The following day, she traces the thread and finds it attached to a he shou wu root, from which a human shape is growing.

Traditional medicine

''Reynoutria multiflora'' is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and is one of the most popular perennial

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

s. Caution must be taken, however, as overconsumption can lead to toxicity-induced hepatitis.

Chemistry

More than 100 chemical compounds have been isolated from ''Reynoutria multiflora'', and the major components have been determined to be

stilbene Stilbene may refer to one of the two stereoisomers of 1,2-diphenylethene: * (''E'')-Stilbene (''trans'' isomer) * (''Z'')-Stilbene (''cis'' isomer) See also * Stilbenoid Stilbenoids are hydroxylated derivatives of stilbene. They have a C6–C ...

quinone The quinones are a class of organic compounds that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds benzene.html" ;"title="uch as benzene">uch as benzene or naphthalene] by conversion of an even number of –CH= groups into –C(=O)– groups with ...

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

s, and others. Its extract contains a

glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

. Grech J. N., Li Q., Roufogalis B.D., Duke C.C. Novel Ca2+-ATPase Inhibitors from the Dried Root Tubers of Polygonum multiflorum. J Nat Prod-Lloyda 57(12), 1682-1687, 1994.

References

External links

''Reynoutria multiflora'': Images & occurrence data
from

GBIF The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international organisation that focuses on making scientific data on biodiversity available via the Internet using web services. The data are provided by many institutions from around the ...

line drawing, Flora of China Illustrations vol. 5, fig. 259, 3-5
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q29032482, from2=Q1802551, from3=Q39600409 Polygonoideae Flora of China Medicinal plants Plants described in 1784 Taxa named by Carl Peter Thunberg