Reynoutria sachalinensis
Reynoutria sachalinensis
Safety & Hazards
Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people. Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whilst not toxic this substance can bind up other minerals making them unavailable to the body and leading to mineral deficiency. Having said that, a number of common foods such as sorrel and rhubarb contain oxalic acid and the leaves of most members of this genus are nutritious and beneficial to eat in moderate quantities. Cooking the leaves will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. ].
Botanical Description
Reynoutria sachalinensis is a very vigrous, herbaceous perennial plant growing from a rhizomatous rootstock with long stolons. It produces a large, dense clump of sparingly-branched, stout, erect, hollow stems around 200 - 400cm tall[ 74 Title Flora of the USSR. Publication Author Komarov. V. L. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Israel Program for Scientific Translation Year 1968 ISBN - Description An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet. , 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. Reynoutria sachalinensis spreads freely at the roots, forming dense clumps of growth up to 400cm tall. It can become a highly invasive plant, capable of outcompeting and displacing native species, especially in riparian zones which it prefers. It has spread to many areas of the temperate zone, especially in N. America and Europe, usually without the aid of seed dispersal though it does provide pollen for the fertilization of Reynoutria japonica plants to produce the highly invasive Reynoutria x bohemica. Though not considered as problematic as Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), eradication can be a real challenge.