Flora of Israel: Polygonum aviculare

Polygonum aviculare, Polygonum arenastrum,Common knotweed, Prostrate knotweed, Doorweed, Knotgrass, Wiregrass, Yard knotweed,

Hebrew: ארכובית הציפורים, Arabic: بطباط الطيور

Scientific name:   Polygonum aviculare L.
Synonym name:   Polygonum arenastrum Boreau
Common name:   Common knotweed, Prostrate knotweed, doorweed, knotgrass, wiregrass, yard knotweed
Hebrew name:   ארכובית הציפורים
Arabic name:   بطباط الطيور
Family:   Polygonaceae, ארכוביתיים


Life form:   Annual, therophyte
Stems:   Mat-forming, 10-122 cm in diameter; prostate to erect, 5-200 cm long, many-branched
Leaves:   Alternate, entire
Inflorescence:   Axillary fascicle of small flowers, inconspicuous, 1-6 flowered, on upper part of plant; pedicels jointed, 1-4 mm long; bracts with well-developed blades
Flowers:   Bisexual, pink, white
Fruits / pods:   Achenes, 1.7-4.0 mm long
Flowering Period:   March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October
Habitat:   Disturbed habitats
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Plurireginalbor-trop
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Polygonum, polys, πολυϛ, πολλη, πολυ, much, many, frequent; large; heavy; gonu, a knee-joint; from the many joints in the stem.

aviculare, avisbird; relating to small birds.
arenastrum, resembling the genus Arenaria.
The Hebrew name: ארכובית, arcuvit, formed from ארכבה, arcuva (Post Biblical Hebrew: knee, knee joint) with suffix -it. Biblical Hebrew: ברך, bereh, knee.
ארכובית הציפורים, arkovit ha’tsiporim (Hebrew), ‘bird’s polygonum’, because of its seeds, much loved by birds.

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation Boreau is used to indicate Alexandre Boreau (1803 – 1875), a French pharmacist and botanist.

See the list of Medicinal herbs in Israel, the parts used and their medical uses to treat various diseases.