Sacaline

(Polygonum sachalinense), an herbaceous plant of the family Polygonaceae. A perennial measuring 2–3 m tall, the sacaline has spreading rootstocks. Its ovate-cordate leaves reach 20 cm in length, and its small whitish flowers are in short axillary panicles. The funnel-shaped perianth proliferates intensively during fruiting and covers the fruit, which is a glossy dark-brown three-sided nutlet. The sacaline is found on Sakhalin, on the Kuril Islands, and in Japan; it grows in river valleys and on mountain slopes. The plant is suitable for silage, and the young plants are eaten by livestock. The sacaline yields a substantial amount of nectar. It is cultivated as an ornamental.