Fallopia japonica typical to see much smaller plants in places where they sprout through cracks in the pavement or are repeatedly cut down. The leaves are broad oval with a truncated base, long and broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are small, cream or white, produced in erect racemes long in late summer and early autumn. Closely related species include giant knotweed ("Fallopia sachalinensis", syn. "Polygonum sachalinense") and Russian vine ("Fallopia baldschuanica", "Polygonum baldschuanicum"). Other English names for Japanese knotweed include fleeceflower, Himalayan fleece vine, monkeyweed, monkey fungus, Hancock's curse, elephant ears, pea shooters, donkey rhubarb (although it is not a
Plant–fungus horizontal gene transfer ancient, they have been difficult to detect and remain relatively unknown. Plant–fungus interactions could play a part in a multi-horizontal gene transfer pathway among many other organisms. Fungus–plant-mediated horizontal gene transfer can occur via phagotrophic mechanisms (mediated by phagotrophic eukaryotes) and nonphagotropic mechanisms. Nonphagotrophic mechanisms have been seen in the transmission of transposable elements, plastid-derived endosymbiotic gene transfer, prokaryote-derived gene transfer, "Agrobacterium tumefaciens"-mediated DNA transfer, cross-species hybridization events, and gene transfer between mitochondrial genes. Horizontal gene transfer could bypass eukaryotic barrier features like linear chromatin-based chromosomes, intron–exon gene structures, and the nuclear envelope. Horizontal gene transfer occurs between microorganisms sharing