The Dock Family (Polygonaceae)
	Family Description	These are herbs, shrubs or climbers. The family includes knotgrass, water-pepper, bindweed and buckwheat, as well as different sorts of Dock. Some type of Dock leaves are thought to have soothing properties popularly used to relieve nettle stings.
	Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica	Japanese Knotweed was introduced to Britain from China, Japan and Taiwan. With its delicate white flowers, it was very popular in Victorian times and many thousands of the plants were planted in peoples' gardens. Japanese Knotweed spread quickly from gardens and has become a big nuisance. Because this is a species that did not naturally evolve in Britain, its presence here has unbalanced natural systems. It competes with local plants, for space, light, water and nutrients. It usually wins the battle and so prevents other species from growing. Being a foreign species it supports relatively few native insects. It is such a pest in some areas of Britain, that local authorities employ staff specifically to eradicate it.
	Habitat	Moist areas, ditches, riverbanks, waste ground, woodland edges.
	Special features	Stout erect stems. Stems are reddish, or sometimes blue-green. The leaves are triangle-shaped.
	Reproduction	The flowers are white and grow in narrow strands from the bottom of the leaves.
	Distribution	Seasonal It flowers from August to October. Geographical Unfortunately, it has spread throughout Britain, apart from the Orkneys. It thrives alongside rivers, into which its seeds fall, enabling it to spread along river banks, threatening large areas of valuable natural habitat.
	Fun Fact	Japanese Knotweed has a close relative, known as Giant Knotweed, which has also been introduced to Britain. Neither of these Knotweeds are much fun, because they stop other native plants from growing.