''Fallopia baldschuanica'' ( syn. ''Polygonum baldschuanicum'') is an Asian species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including Russian-vine, Bukhara fleeceflower, Chinese fleecevine, mile-a-minute and silver lace vine. It is native to Asia (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, etc.),Flora of China, ''Fallopia aubertii'' (L. Henry) Holub, 1971. 木藤首乌 mu teng shou wu
/ref> and is growing wild in parts of Europe and North and Central America as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

.Altervista Flora Italiana, ''Fallopia baldschuanica'' (Regel) Holub
/ref> Some authors split the species in two, referring to the Chinese populations as ''

Fallopia aubertii ''Fallopia aubertii'' ( syn. ''Polygonum aubertii'') is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants known Common name, informally as the knotweed family or ...

'' and the Russian and Central Asian species as ''F. baldschuanica.'' ''Fallopia baldschuanica'' is grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

for its flower-laced vines. The white flowers are decorative and provide

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

and pollen for the

honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the ...

. As it is fast-growing, it is used as cover for unsightly fences and other garden structures. It can become invasive, however.

Description

''Fallopia baldschuanica'' is a vining plant with woody, climbing stems at least in length. The pointed oval or nearly triangular leaves are up to long and borne on petioles. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is an open array of narrow, branching, drooping or spreading clusters of white flowers, each cluster reaching a maximum of long. Flowers hang on short

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branch ...

. Each five-lobed flower is just under a centimeter long and white to greenish or pale pink, sometimes turning bright pink as the fruit develops. The fruit is a shiny black

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 ...

about wide.Flora of North America, ''Fallopia baldschuanica'' (Regel) Holub, 1971. Bukhara fleeceflower, mile-a-minute vine
/ref>

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment, University of CaliforniaKemper Center for Home Gardening, Missouri Botanical Garden
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1340076 baldschuanica Flora of Asia Plants described in 1883

Description

See also

References

External links