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The "Akino-unagi-tsukami" (Persicaria sagittata var. sibirica) belongs to Polygonaceae (the Knotweed family). It is an annual herb that is widely distributed in various parts of Japan and East Asia. This herb grows in watersides and wetlands, and the height is 60-100 cm. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate to long-lanceolate, alternate, and the bases are sagittate and hold the stems. The small flowers bloom in the spherical clusters from August to October. The corolla is white at the lower part and red at the upper part. The Japanese name comes from the fact that there are many downward spines on the stem, which can be used to catch eels.
Traditionally, the early-maturing field-grown variety was referred to as "Unagi-tsukami" (Persicaria sagittata var. aestiva) in the narrow sense, while the late-maturing wetland variety was called "Akino-unagi-tsukami" (Persicaria sagittata var. sibirica); however, these are now considered intraspecific variations, and in the broad sense, the term "Unagi-tsukami" (Persicaria sagittata) encompasses "Akino-unagi-tsukami" as well.
In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "箭葉蓼", and "箭頭蓼" (jian tou liao) in Chinese.
In Korean, it's called "mik-kuri-nak-si" (미꾸리낚시). This is based on the same concept as the Japanese name, deriving from the combination of "loach" (mik-kuri: 미꾸리) and "to fish" (na-ssi: 낚시).
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