Wild Buckwheat

Taxobox
name = Wild Buckwheat

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image_width = 250px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Caryophyllales
familia = Polygonaceae
genus = "Fallopia"
species = "F. convolvulus"
binomial = "Fallopia convolvulus"
binomial_authority = (L.) A.Löve

Wild Buckwheat ("Fallopia convolvulus", syn "Polygonum convolvulus" L., "Bilderdykia convolvulus" (L.) Dumont) is a fast-growing annual flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is also known as Black Bindweed, Climbing Bindweed, and Corn Bindweed. It is native throughout Europe, Asia and northern Africa [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?404599 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Fallopia convolvulus"] ] .

It is a herbaceous vine growing to 1-2 m long, with alternate triangular leaves 2-6 cm long. The basal lobes of the leaves are pointed at the petiole. The flowers are small, and greenish-pink to greenish white, clustered on racemes. These clusters give way to small triangular fruit, with one seed in each fruit Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, 1997. "Weeds of The Northeast". Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, pp. 276-277.] .

Note that while it superficially resemble true bindweeds (genus "Convolvulus") there are many notable differences; Wild Buckwheat has ocrea (stipule-sheath at nodes), which true bindweeds do not; bindweeds have conspicuous flowers typical of morning-glories while wild buckweed has flowers that are unobtrusive and only about 4 mm long .

Cultivation and uses

Wild Buckwheat seeds are edible, and were used in the past as a food crop, with remains found in Bronze Age middens [Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C., 1989. "Flora of Britain and Northern Europe". ISBN 0-340-40170-2.] . The seeds are too small and low-yielding to make a commercial crop, and it is now more widely considered a weed, occurring in crops, waste areas and roadsides. It is also an invasive species in North America .

Wild Buckwheat prefers cultivated land, but can survive on many different locales and soil types . It can be a damaging weed when it is growing in a garden or crop, as it can not only damage the plant it entwines itself around, but can also hinder mechanised harvesting.

References