Wild Buckwheat

Wild Buckwheat, Black Bindweed

Polygonum convolvulus L.

Polygonaceae (Smartweed Family)

▲ ▼ seedlings

▲ ▼ twining stems with axillary flowers

▲ ▼ close-up on leaves, stems

▲ ▼ wild buckwheat climbing fence

▲ ▼ flowers

Wild buckwheat:

a summer-annual vine member of the Smartweed family
vine can grow 10-15' long and longer
leaves triangular to heart-shaped-- similar to bindweeds except have ochrea at nodes
flowers greenish-white papery clustered inflorescences
can be serious weed in agronomic and horticultural crops, seed is similar in size to many crop seeds
also used as a smother crop, but must kill prior to flowering
similar to the perennial false buckwheat, but wild buckhwheat has smaller flowers and smaller wings on fruit
control: cultivation, pre-emergent herbicides