''Polygonum cognatum'', commonly called Indian knotgrass or madimak (from

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

''madımak''Prof. Dr. Turhan Baytop (1997), Türkçe Bitki Adları Sözlüğü, TDK yayınları: 578, Ankara, 1997), is an edible weedy creeping perennial herb in the genus ''

Polygonum ''Polygonum'' is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plant in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass (though the common names may refer more broadly to plants from Polygonaceae). In the ...

'', frequently eaten by people of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. It has larger leaves than most other species of ''Polygonum''.

Description

''Polygonum cognatum'' is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

, prostrate or ascending branched herb, 15–30 cm long with a thick stout root stock. Stems are prostrate, green like the leaves. Leaves oblong-elliptic, petiolate, often slightly mucronate. Flowers in bundles in the leaf axils. Perianth pinkish, 4–5 mm, hardening and accrescent in fruit. Nut glossy, included in the perianth.

Habitat

Irano-Turanian

Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

or Iran-Turan Plant Geography Region element, grows between 760–5600 meters elevation on rocky and drier slopes; distribution:

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

Western Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

, Caucasia ( Georgia),

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. The madimak is a weed found in both agricultural and non-agricultural areas.

Subspecies

*''Polygonum cognatum'' subsp. ''chitralicum'' (syn: ''P. chitralicum''):

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Chitral Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...

. *''Polygonum cognatum'' subsp. ''cognatum'' (syn: ''P. cognatum'' var. ''alpestre'', ''P. confertum'', ''P. ammanioides'', ''P. pamiroalaicum'')

Cuisine

The madimak is one of the widely known traditional

edible plant Edible plants include: * List of culinary fruits * List of culinary herbs and spices * List of culinary nuts * List of edible cacti * List of edible flowers * List of edible seeds *List of forageable plants (edible plants commonly found in the wil ...

s in

particularly Central Anatolia Region. To be able compensate increasing demand easily and supply the plant to the markets, farmers started cultivating madimak in Central Anatolia.

Pharmacology

The highest antioxidant activity was found in the water extract.Ali Yıldırım, Ahmet Mavi, Ayşe Aydan Kara (2002)
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ''Polygonum cognatum'' Meissn extracts
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 83, Issue 1, pages 64–69, 1 January 2003

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3337007 cognatum Flora of Turkey Flora of Georgia (country) Flora of Syria Flora of Iran Flora of Pakistan Plants described in 1826 Edible plants Taxa named by Carl Meissner