Botanical Name: Fagopyrum spp.
Family: Polygonaceae
Subfamily: Polygonoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Caryophyllales
Genus: Fagopyrum
Synonyms:
*Fagotriticum L.
*Helxine L.
*Kunokale Raf.
*Parapteropyrum A.J.Li
*Phegopyrum Peterm.
*Trachopyron J.Gerard ex Raf.
Common Names: Perennial Buckwheat
Description:
Fagopyrum spp. is a perrinial plant, growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
Fagopyrum contains 15 to 16 species of plants, including two important crop plants, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and Fagopyrum tataricum (Tartary buckwheat). The two have similar uses, and are classed as pseudocereals, because they are used in the same way as cereals but do not belong to the grass family Poaceae.
Within Fagopyrum, the cultivated species are in the Cymosum group, including Fagopyrum cymosum or perennial buckwheat, the artificial hybrid Fagopyrum × giganteum, and Fagopyrum homotropicum.
This genus has five-petaled flowers arranged in a compound raceme that produces laterally flowered cymose clusters.
Cultivation:
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Climate: boreal to cold temperate. Humidity: arid to semi-arid. Carbon Farming Solutions – Cultivation: hypothetical – F. esculentum could be crossed with F. cymosum. Management: standard (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation)
Propagation:
Through seeds – sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division is very easy at almost any time in the growing season, though it is best avoided in early spring because the young growth can be damaged by late frosts. The divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.
Edible Uses:
Leaves are edible, eaten – raw or cooked. Boiled or steamed and used like spinach. Of excellent quality according to one report, but we have been less than impressed by the flavour, which has a distinct bitterness especially when eaten raw. The leaves are rich in rutin (see below for details of its uses) and so they do make a healthy addition to the diet. Seed – it can be sprouted and eaten raw, or cooked and used as a cereal. Dried and ground into a powder, it can serve as a thickening agent in soups etc. The seed is rich in vitamin B6. Unfortunately, it is not freely produced in Britain. Carbon Farming Solutions – Staple Crop: balanced carb (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people’s diets in a particular region of the world)
Medicinal Uses:
The whole plant is anodyne, anthelmintic, antiphlogistic, carminative, depurative and febrifuge. It stimulates blood circulation. A decoction is used in the treatment of traumatic injuries, lumbago, menstrual irregularities, purulent infections, snake and insect bites. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of insect bites, dysmenorrhoea, inflammation, lumbago, snakebite and traumatic injuries. The leaves are rich in rutin which is a capillary tonic, antioedemic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and hypotensive. Rutin also inhibits carcinogenesis and protects against radiation.
Other Uses: Animal feed, An ornamental plant.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagopyrum
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Fagopyrum+spp.
