Mile-A-Minute Vine
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Figure 1 |
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Figure 2 |
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Figure 3 |
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Figure 4 |
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Figure 5 |
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Scientific
Name: Polygonum perfoliatum, Persicaria perfoliata
Common Names: Mile-A-Minute Vine, Mile-A-Minute
Weed, Asiatic Tearthumb, Devil’s Tail, Mile-A-
Minute Knotweed
Habitat:
Prefers sunny sites with moist soil. Disturbed areas, roadsides, woodland edges, orchards, nurseries, forest clear cuts, right-of-ways, stream banks, wet meadows
| Key
ID Features: |
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Light blue-green
leaves are triangular and 1-3” (2-8cm) wide.
(Figure 1) |
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Thin, jointed, highly branched stems are green to reddish-green in color. |
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Curving spines are present
on the leaf stalks, stems, and underside of leaves
along the veins. (Figure 2) |
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A leaf-like cup of tissue
(ocrea) surrounds the stem at the base of the leaf
stalk. (Figure 3) |
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Flowers are inconspicuous. |
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Metallic blue, berry-like,
pea-sized (5mm) fruits are present from mid July
through the first frost. (Figure 4) |
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Plants are annuals that form
a highly branched vine capable of growing over trees
and shrubs. (Figure 5) |
Similar species: Polygonum
arifolium (halberdleaf tearthub), Polygonum
sagittatum (arrowleaf tearthumb), Polygonum
scandens var. cristatum (false buckwheat), Calystegia
sepium (wild morning glory), Polygonum cilinode
(fringed black bindweed), and Polygonum convolvulus
(black bindweed). For information on how to distinguish
these species from P. perfoliatum , visit this excellent web resource from the University of Connecticut.
Fact
sheets and references:
Invasive Plant Atlas of New England: Excellent photos
and information with list of many references
http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/icat/browse.do?specieId=13
Fact Sheet from Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group with a description of the plant, its biology, history, and management options
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm
USDA Forest Service Pest Alert
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/mm/pa_mam.pdf
Spanish/English pest alert from USDA-NRCS
http://massnrc.org/pests/linkeddocuments/mile-a-minute_alert_spanish_USDANRCS.pdf
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Fact Sheet
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/documents/fspope.pdf
Mile-A-Minute Weed in the Northeast by Larry H. McCormick and C. Fagan Johnson, Jr. Pennsylvania State University
http://www.ceris.purdue.edu/napis/pests/mam/maminfo.txt
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and consumer Services, Plant Industry Division: Excellent photos
http://www.ncagr.com/plantindustry/plant/entomology/alert.htm#MAM
Entry for Polygonum perfoliatum
in Global Invasive Species Database
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=582&fr=1&sts=
Last reviewed September 28, 2009
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