# Fallopia

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Genus of flowering plants in the knotweed family Polygonaceae

Fallopia 1885 illustration of Fallopia dumetorum[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Polygonaceae Subfamily: Polygonoideae Genus: Fallopia Adans., not Lour. Type species Polygonum scandens L. Synonyms[2] Bilderdykia Dumort. Helxine Raf. Tiniaria (Meisn.) Rchb.

***Fallopia*** is a genus of about 12 species of [flowering plants](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [buckwheat family](/source/Polygonaceae),[2] in the past often included in a wider treatment of the related genus *[Polygonum](/source/Polygonum)*, and previously including *[Reynoutria](/source/Reynoutria)*.[3] The genus is native to temperate and subtropical regions of the [Northern Hemisphere](/source/Northern_Hemisphere), but species have been introduced elsewhere. The genus includes species forming [vines](/source/Vine) and [shrubs](/source/Shrub).[3]

## Description

Species of *Fallopia* grow as [vines](/source/Vine), [lianas](/source/Liana), [shrubs](/source/Shrub) or subshrubs. Unlike species of the related genus *[Duma](/source/Duma_(plant))*, they do not have thornlike tips to their branches. [Nectaries](/source/Nectar) are present outside the flowers (extrafloral). Plants usually have [bisexual](/source/Plant_reproductive_morphology#Variations) flowers. More rarely they may be [dioecious](/source/Plant_reproductive_morphology#Variations), each plant only having flowers with either functional [stamens](/source/Stamen) or a functional [pistil](/source/Gynoecium#Pistils). The flowers are arranged in a [raceme](/source/Raceme). The [tepals](/source/Tepal) of the flowers are dry and paper-like when mature. The flowers have short [styles](/source/Style_(botany)) with partially fused stigmas forming a "head". The fruits are [achenes](/source/Achene) with three sharp edges.[3]

## Taxonomy

The genus *Fallopia* was first described by [Michel Adanson](/source/Michel_Adanson) in 1763.[2] He distinguished it from *[Polygonum](/source/Polygonum)* and other genera he placed in his family "Persicariae". Adanson did not explain the origin of the name.[4] It is said to be named after the Italian botanist [Gabriele Falloppio](/source/Gabriele_Falloppio), known as Fallopius in Latin.[5][6] He was the superintendent of the [botanical garden](/source/Botanical_garden) at [Padua](/source/Padua) and an acclaimed anatomist, being considered a founder of modern [anatomy](/source/Anatomy).[7]

The status of the genus has varied considerably over time, and its taxonomic history is complicated. For example, [Meissner](/source/Carl_Meissner) in 1856 placed both Adanson's *Fallopia* and the genus *Reynoutria* in a broadly defined *Polygonum*, as did Bentham and Hooker in 1880. When the genus *Fallopia* was recognized, as was generally the case from the 1970s onwards, *Reynoutria* was sometimes included and sometimes not.[3] Thus the *Flora of North America* in 2005 included *Reynoutria* in *Fallopia*,[5] whereas the *Flora of China* in 2003 separated the two genera.[8] Subsequent [molecular phylogenetic](/source/Molecular_phylogenetics) studies have confirmed the separation of *Fallopia* from other related genera.[3][9]

### Classification and phylogeny

*Fallopia* is placed in the tribe Polygoneae of the subfamily [Polygonoideae](/source/Polygonoideae). Within the tribe, it is most closely related to the genera *[Reynoutria](/source/Reynoutria)* and *[Muehlenbeckia](/source/Muehlenbeckia)*, forming the so-called "RMF clade".[9]

Polygoneae Knorringia Polygonum ciliinode (syn. Fallopia ciliinodis) DAP clade Duma Atraphaxis Polygonum RMF clade Reynoutria Muehlenbeckia Fallopia s.s.

### Species

As of October 2025[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia&action=edit), [Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online) accepted 12 species.[2]

- *[Fallopia aubertii](/source/Fallopia_aubertii)* (L.Henry) Holub – silver lace vine; China

- *[Fallopia baldschuanica](/source/Fallopia_baldschuanica)* (Regel) Holub ([syn.](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) *Polygonum baldschuanicum*) – Russian vine, mile-a-minute vine, fleece vine, fleece flower; [Eastern Asia](/source/East_Asia)

- *[Fallopia ciliinervis](/source/Fallopia_ciliinervis)* (Nakai) K.Hammer – China and Korea

- *[Fallopia convolvulus](/source/Fallopia_convolvulus)* (L.) Á.Löve (syns *Polygonum convolvulus*, *Bilderdykia convolvulus*) – black-bindweed; [Europe](/source/Europe), Asia, northern [Africa](/source/Africa).

- *[Fallopia cristata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_cristata&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Engelm. ex A.Gray) Holub – eastern and central United States

- *[Fallopia dentatoalata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_dentatoalata&action=edit&redlink=1)* (F.Schmidt) Holub (syn. *Polygonum dentatoalatum*) – Eastern Asia

- *[Fallopia dumetorum](/source/Fallopia_dumetorum)* (L.) Holub (syns *Polygonum dumetorum*, *Bilderdykia dumetorum*) – copse bindweed, small-flower knotweed;[10] Europe, Asia, northern Africa

- *[Fallopia filipes](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_filipes&action=edit&redlink=1)* (H.Hara) Holub – Nepal

- *[Fallopia × heterocarpa](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_%C3%97_heterocarpa&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Beck) Doweld (*F. convolvulus* × *F. dumetorum*) – France to central Europe

- *[Fallopia koreana](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_koreana&action=edit&redlink=1)* B.U.Oh & J.G.Kim – Korean knotweed;[10] Korea

- *[Fallopia pterocarpa](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_pterocarpa&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Meisn.) Holub (syn. *Polygonum pterocarpum*) – Southern Asia

- *[Fallopia scandens](/source/Fallopia_scandens)* (L.) Holub (syns *Polygonum scandens*, *Reynoutria scandens*) – climbing false buckwheat; North America

- *[Fallopia schischkinii](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fallopia_schischkinii&action=edit&redlink=1)* Tzvelev – Russian Far East

### Former species

Many species at one time placed in *Fallopia* have been moved to other genera in the subfamily [Polygonoideae](/source/Polygonoideae). Some synonyms are listed below.[11]

- *Fallopia* × *bohemica* → [*Reynoutria* × *bohemica*](/source/Reynoutria_%C3%97_bohemica), Bohemian knotweed.

- *Fallopia ciliinodis* (Michx.) Holub – fringed black bindweed → *[Polygonum ciliinode](/source/Polygonum_ciliinode)*

- *Fallopia cynanchoides* (Hemsl.) Haraldson → *[Parogonum cynanchoides](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parogonum_cynanchoides&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Hemsl.) Desjardins & J.P.Bailey

- *Fallopia denticulata* (C.C.Huang) Holub → *[Pteroxygonum denticulatum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pteroxygonum_denticulatum&action=edit&redlink=1)*

- *Fallopia japonica* Houtt. – Japanese knotweed → *[Reynoutria japonica](/source/Reynoutria_japonica)*

- *Fallopia sachalinensis* – giant knotweed → *[Reynoutria sachalinensis](/source/Reynoutria_sachalinensis)*

### Hybrids

Crosses between Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed have occurred where the two species grow in close proximity. The hybrid, [×*Reyllopia conollyana*](/source/%C3%97Reyllopia_conollyana) (J.P.Bailey) Galasso (*[Reynoutria japonica](/source/Reynoutria_japonica)* × *[Fallopia baldschuanica](/source/Fallopia_baldschuanica)*) is called railway-yard knotweed.

## Distribution

*Fallopia* species are native to much of the [Northern Hemisphere](/source/Northern_Hemisphere), including most of [Eurasia](/source/Eurasia), [North Africa](/source/North_Africa) and central and eastern [North America](/source/North_America). They have been widely introduced elsewhere including eastern and southern Africa, eastern North America, including [Mexico](/source/Mexico), and parts of [South America](/source/South_America).[2]

## Ecology

*Fallopia* species are used as food plants by the [larvae](/source/Larva) of some [Lepidoptera](/source/Lepidoptera) species including *[Coleophora therinella](/source/Coleophora)* (recorded on *F. convolvulus*).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** illustration from Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-POWO_32490-1_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-POWO_32490-1_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-POWO_32490-1_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-POWO_32490-1_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-POWO_32490-1_2-4) ["*Fallopia* Adans"](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:32490-1). *[Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online)*. [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew). Retrieved 26 October 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SchuWilsKron11_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SchuWilsKron11_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-SchuWilsKron11_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-SchuWilsKron11_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-SchuWilsKron11_3-4) Schuster, Tanja M.; Wilson, Karen L. & Kron, Kathleen A. (2011). "Phylogenetic Relationships of Muehlenbeckia, Fallopia, and Reynoutria (Polygonaceae) Investigated with Chloroplast and Nuclear Sequence Data". *International Journal of Plant Sciences*. **172** (8): 1053–1066. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1086/661293](https://doi.org/10.1086%2F661293). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [10.1086/661293](https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/661293). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [84015547](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:84015547).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Adan63_4-0)** Adanson, M. (1763). ["XXXIX Famille. Les Persicaires. *Persicariae*"](https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3611241). *Familles des Plantes,*Vol. 2. Paris: Vincent. pp. 273–277. Retrieved 2019-04-27.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FoNA_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FoNA_5-1) Freeman, Craig C. & Hinds, Harold R. (2005). ["Fallopia"](http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=112640). In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). *Flora of North America*(online). Vol. 5. eFloras.org. Retrieved 2019-04-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-OVFW_6-0)** ["*Fallopia japonica*"](http://wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu/taxa/index.php?taxon=11964). *Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin*. Wisconsin State Herbarium, UW-Madison. Retrieved 2019-04-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Herb13_7-0)** Walsh, James Joseph (1909). ["Gabriello Fallopio"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Gabriello_Fallopio). *[Catholic Encyclopedia](/source/Catholic_Encyclopedia)*. Vol. 5.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FoC_8-0)** Li, Anjen & Park, Chong-wook (2003). ["Fallopia"](http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=112640). In Wu, Zhengyi; Raven, Peter H. & Hong, Deyuan (eds.). [*Flora of China*(online)](http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=2). Vol. 5. eFloras.org. p. 315. Retrieved 2019-04-28.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SchuReveBaylKron15_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SchuReveBaylKron15_9-1) Schuster, Tanja M.; Reveal, James L.; Bayly, Michael J. & Kron, Kathleen A. (2015). "An updated molecular phylogeny of Polygonoideae (Polygonaceae): Relationships of *Oxygonum*, *Pteroxygonum*, and *Rumex*, and a new circumscription of *Koenigia*". *Taxon*. **64** (6): 1188–1208. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.12705/646.5](https://doi.org/10.12705%2F646.5).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-KNA_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-KNA_10-1) [*English Names for Korean Native Plants*](https://web.archive.org/web/20170525105020/http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf) (PDF). Pocheon: [Korea National Arboretum](/source/Korea_National_Arboretum). 2015. p. 467. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-89-97450-98-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-89-97450-98-5). Archived from [the original](http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf) (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via [Korea Forest Service](/source/Korea_Forest_Service).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-POWO_FallopiaSpp_11-0)** ["Search for *Fallopia* species"](http://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=Fallopia&f=species_f). *Plants of the World Online*. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2019-03-01.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Fallopia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fallopia).

Taxon identifiers Fallopia Wikidata: Q927544 Wikispecies: Fallopia APDB: 190734 APNI: 60991 CoL: 4JBP EoL: 2876337 EPPO: 1FOPG FloraBase: 22391 FNA: 112640 FoC: 112640 GBIF: 2889418 GRIN: 14554 iNaturalist: 72133 IPNI: 32490-1 ITIS: 823760 NBN: NHMSYS0000458713 NCBI: 76024 NZOR: a0c27e38-5193-474e-bf48-7760fe87cf6f Open Tree of Life: 362491 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:32490-1 Tropicos: 40008546 VASCAN: 1171 VicFlora: 717014b6-9c5c-4509-936b-c998ea4d9288 WFO: wfo-4000014581 WoRMS: 594774

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fallopia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallopia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallopia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.