BUCKWHEAT FAMILY. Polygonaceae. 



BUCKWHEAT FAMILY. Polygonaceae. 



A large family, widely distributed, mostly herbs or lov 

 shrubs, with toothless leaves, often with stipules sheathinj 

 the swollen joints of the stem. The small flowers have n< 

 petals, the calyx usually resembles a corolla and has fro 

 three to six divisions. There are from four to nine stamen 

 and a superior, mostly triangular, ovary, with two or thre 

 styles or stigmas, becoming a dry, one-seeded fruit, gent 

 ally brown or black. The kind from which flour is made 

 cultivated from northern Asia, and the name Buckwhea 

 from the German, means "beech- wheat," because th 

 grain resembles minute beech-nuts. There are severs 

 common "weeds" belonging to this family, such as Docl 

 Sorrel, and Smartweed. 



Chorizanthes are low herbs, with branching stem! 

 without stipules, the leaves forming a rosette at the bas 

 and withering early. The small flowers have six sepa! 

 and are clustered in small heads, usually one flower in ea 

 papery involucre, which has from two to six teeth, wi 

 bristles at the tips; stamens usually nine, on the base of tt 

 perianth ; styles three, with round- top stigmas. 



An odd, dry-looking plant, makir 

 Turkish Rugging tt patches of purplish color on di 



Chonzdnthe 



fimbri&ta mesas. The stiff, roughish, purplish stei 



Piak is a few inches tall, springing from a fe 



Spring dull-green or reddish root-leaves, branc 



ing abruptly and widely towards the tc 

 and bearing many small flowers. The involucres 

 deep-red or purple, with very prickly teeth, the sepa 

 bright-pink, prettily fringed with white and striped wi' 

 deeper color, and the filaments are long and threadlik 

 with purple anthers. The flowers are exceedingly pret 

 when closely examined, though too small to be very effe 

 tive, but the plant as a whole is conspicuous both in col 

 and form. C. staticoldes is similar, but the sepals are n 

 fringed. 



86 



