Polygonums

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specific type of flowering plant belonging to the family Polygonaceae, typically characterized by their jointed stems and alternate leaves
2. A group of diverse herbaceous plants recognized for their distinctive flowers and growth habits, often found in various habitats
3. Plants within the genus known for their characteristics such as swollen nodes and often vibrant blossoms, commonly referred to in both horticulture and ecology

Etymology: "Polygonums" is simply the plural of "polygonum", the genus name for knotweeds and their relatives. The genus name is a Latinized form of an ancient Greek word, "polúgonon", meaning "knotweed". That word joins "polús", meaning "many", with "gónu", meaning "knee" or joint, a nod to the many swollen nodes along the stems. The source offers a second possibility: the Greek word may instead be the neuter of "polúgonos", meaning "prolific", built from "polús" and "gónos", meaning "offspring". Under that reading the name would celebrate a plant that spreads readily rather than one with many joints. Because the knee-based explanation is the more commonly given one, the two are best seen as competing readings of the same Greek root. The knee and corner connection is worth a note. "Polygon", a shape with many angles, comes from "gōnía", meaning "corner", which belongs to the same family as "gónu". If the knee explanation holds, then the plant's name and the geometric term are distant cousins, both built on the idea of joints and angles.

Synonyms: knotweeds