WILD BUCKWHEAT 17 



nearly every part of the State. It begins flowering in July and con- 

 tinues during August. The seeds are found very soon after the 

 flowers appear and start ripening late in August. The leaves are from 

 two to twelve inches long and are frequently spotted. The pink 

 flowers form a dense cluster. This plant is propagated entirely by 

 seeds which are generally black, although sometimes dark brown. 

 They are almost circular in shape but they come to an abrupt point 

 at one end. When the seed has been entirely threshed out it is found 

 to be very smooth and shiny. The seeds of Pennsylvania smartweed 

 are generally found in the seeds of the clovers and cereals. 



Eradication. — Avoid sowing the seed. Where stray plants ap- 

 pear in meadows or pastures they may be removed with a spud or 

 sharp spade. If patches of smartweed appear they should be mowed 

 in time to prevent seed from maturing. The weed yields readily to 

 cultivation. 



Wild Buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus L.) 



Other common names. — Climbing buckwheat, bindweed, black 

 bindweed, bind corn, corn bind, and ivy. 



Description. — Wild buckwheat is an annual plant which was in- 

 troduced into this country from Europe and is found in all parts of 

 this State except possibly in the extreme north. It is very common 

 in waste places, cultivated fields, grain fields, and along roadsides. 

 This plant has a long, trailing, twining stem, which often reaches 

 to a length of three and one-half or four feet. The stem is more 

 or less branched and produces abundant foliage. Its habit is to twine 

 around the stalks of corn or the grain plants and it often smothers 

 the crops. This is a rather troublesome weed in cultivated fields as 

 well as in grain fields. It begins to flower in July and continues 

 throughout the entire summer. The heart-shaped leaves of wild buck- 

 wheat are from half an inch to three inches in length. They closely re- 

 semble the leaves of the common buckwheat. The seeds begin to ripen 

 about the first of July. They are three-angled and dull black in color. 

 They resemble the seeds of tame buckwheat to some extent but are 

 much smaller and the color is darker. The seeds are found most 

 commonly in the seeds of the different cereals. 



Eradication. — Disk or harrow the grain fields immediately after 

 the crops are removed, to encourage germination of the seeds during 

 the autumn. The plants will be killed by frost. Early spring culti- 

 vation before the grain is sown will kill some of those starting in 

 the spring. Where the young plants come up thickly in a grain field 



