Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata)

Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata) is a species of plant in the Polygonaceae, perennial shrub, growing vines with thorny stems, triangular leaves, fruits in dense clusters, growing wild in forests, farmlands and roadsides.

P. perfoliata has a cylindrical, branched, reddish stem with rows of strong, downward-pointing spines. The leaves have long stalks and rows of spines. Green or reddish surface, pointed tip, three main veins with many small pinnate veins and lower surface has rows of spines.

Flower buds, flowers and fruit emerge from within the ocreas. Flowers are small, white and generally inconspicuous. The fruits grow in clusters, are round, segmented, green or yellow or red or blue, each segment containing a black or reddish-black seed.

Mile-a-minute weed prefers warm open areas on riverbanks, parks, open spaces, road shoulders, forest edges to very wet with poor soil structure. The fruit can stay afloat for 7-9 days and spread seeds long distances in river environments. Long vines often hang over waterways.

The tender leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked as a salad green or sweet and can be eaten fresh. The stem is used as a fiber or material in making rope.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Subfamily: Polygonoideae
Tribe: Persicarieae
Subtribe: Persicariinae
Genus: Persicaria
Species: Persicaria perfoliata

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