Polygonum scandens L. Climbing false buckwheat
Climbing buckwheat is a common, robust North American native. The genus Polygonum means "many knees"—a reference to the jointed sheaths the are found wherever leaf stems meet the vine. Plants: These vines twist and clamber rapidly over other plants, reaching lengths up to 20′ (6.1 m). The green vines often turn deep red in the sun, and are hairless. Leaves: Ovate (heart-shaped), almost sagittate (arrowhead-shaped), sharp-tipped, alternate, up to 2″ (5 cm) × 4″ (10 cm). Where each leaf stem attaches to the vine, the vine is somewhat swollen, forming a sort of protective sheath. Leaf stems are up to 1½″ (3.8 cm) long. Flowers: The flower clusters (racemes) are 2-8″ (5-20 cm) long, composed of greenish, rather unflowerlike flowers bordered with three tepals that are the fruit. Flowers are ¼″ (8.5 mm) around. Fruits: Greenish and bordered with white or pink. about ¼″ (8.5 mm) around. |
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Some similar species: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Polygonum convolvulus |
You are here Polygonum scandens |
Polygonum cilinode |
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Common Name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plant | Vine up to 3′ (1 m) long. At leaf nodes there is an ocrea. | Vines up to 20′ (6.1 m) long. Stems are light green to bright red, almost hairless. Where leaves attach to the stem, there is a protective sheath, or ocrea | Stems are 12-197″ (30-500 cm) long. It climbs by twining around other stems, from right to left. There are stiff bristles at each node (ocrea. Each ocrea is 1/16-⅛″ (3-4 mm) long. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | Small, greenish-pink to greenish-white, in racemes (bunches); individual flowers are ⅛″ (4 mm) long, racemes are up to 2½″ (6.3 cm) long | Racemes are 2-8″ (5-20 cm) long, with small greenish flowers. | Panicles are 1½-4″ (4-10 cm) long, comprised of greenish-white or pink-fringed flowers. Each flower is 5-parted. Flowers appear from June to October. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Alternate, triangular or heart-shaped, lower corners of leaves aim inward toward the petiole (leaf stem) | Ovate, approaching sagittate (shaped like an arrowhead), up to 2″ (5 cm) × 4″ (10 cm). Leaf petioles are up to 1½″ (3.8 cm) long | Alternate, oval to triangular, with wavy margins, often with reddish veins standing out. Their stems (petioles) are ⅜-2″ (1-6 cm) long. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Three-sided, with a single dull black seed | Greenish, with white or pink borders. | ⅛-3/16″ (4-6 mm) seeds are black and very shiny. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Wild | Wild | Wild |
Edibility: The seeds can be processed into flour.
Online References:
Southeastern Flora, the Southeastern U.S. Plant Identification Resource
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 272
Polygonum scandens description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 6 Sep 2021.
Range: