Persicaria campanulata Lesser Knotweed

A tall, rhizomatous perennial with hollow, ridged stems and rather acuminate lanceolate leaves with a prominent herrring-bone vein pattern. It produces attractive terminal inflorescences of small, conspicuous, cup-shaped or bell-shaped pink flowers. It is native to the Himalaya and West China and it was introduced into Britain as a garden plant in 1909. It was first reported wild in Britain in 1933 and became established in marshy places, beside streams and along railways and roadsides, particularly in the West Country, western Scotland and Ireland. It has been rather slow to colonise Wales where it is still comparatively uncommon. There are few records for Glamorgan (VC41) but there is a well established population in the Pelenna Valley near Pontrhydyfen in West Glamorgan. Bisexual, faintly-scented flowers are produced in late summer but seed set has not been observed in Britain.

Neophyte