Japanese Knotweed

Spectrum | 21.10.2008 | 04:30

Scientists Find a Solution to Fight the Japanese Knotweed Menace in Britain

Britain has been invaded……by an alien plant species. Japanese Knotweed (or Fallopia Japonica) has spread with ferocious speed across the UK.

It has undermined buildings, destroyed flood defences and overwhelmed private gardens and public parks. Tackling it is costing millions of pounds. But now scientists have come up with a simple solution -- Aphalara itadori -- a sap-sucking insect that devours the dreaded knotweed. Scientists from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International have asked for government permission to introduce the insect. If they get the go-ahead, it will be the first time that a bio-control technique involving a natural organism to control a pest will have been used in Europe. From London Stephen Beard ( or Stephanus Barbus) reports.

分類
界 ： 植物界 Plantae 門 ： 被子植物門 Magnoliophyta 綱 ： 双子葉植物綱 Magnoliopsida 目 ： タデ目 Polygonales 科 ： タデ科 Polygonaceae 属 ： ソバカズラ属 Fallopia 種 ： イタドリ F. japonica

Japanese Knotweed
English

虎杖(Polygonum cuspidatum)，別名假川七、土川七、紅三七、三七^[1]或日本蓼，是一種蓼科多年生草本植物。虎杖的莖有節而且中空，就像一支手杖一樣^[2]，加上有有三角型的葉，構造與竹非常類似，但兩者其實並沒有任何關連。虎杖的嫩葉都有紅色的斑紋。雄雌異株。虎杖產於東亞地區，分佈在日本北海道西部以南的地區、朝鮮半島、台灣及中國大陸的江蘇、江西、山東、四川等地。

虎杖的莖和根都可以入藥。虎杖並不高，但亦可長至3至4米。