New Mexico Wildflowers: Buckwheat Family

(Polygonaceae)

 

Also known as the Smartweed-Buckwheat Family or Knotweed Family. Flowers are organized alphabetically by genus and species. Hover over a photo series to control the images.


Nodding Buckwheat (Eriogonum cernuum)

This plant looks like nothing but stems, and not many of those, unless you find the basal rosette of rounded leaves. The small clusters of white flowers occur on short stems, which can be hanging (hence the "nodding" part of the name) or erect. 

 

James' Buckwheat (Eriogonum jamesii)

 

Redroot Buckwheat (Eriogonum racemosum)

 

Wright's Buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii)

 

Silver Lace Vine (Fallopia baldschuanica)

Because of its showy displays of white flowers, silver lace vine was imported from the Old World as an ornamental plant. It has escaped into the wild, hence its inclusion here.

 

Pale Smartweed (Persicaria lapathifolia)

The flowers on this plant occur in spike-like clusters, are white to pink, and do not fully open. As the flower clusters grow longer, they nod (bend over).

 

Pennsylvania Smartweed or Pinkweed (Persicaria pensylvanica)

 

Prostrate Knotweed (Polygonum aviculare)

 

Curly Dock (Rumex crispus)

What makes curly dock distinctive isn't its tiny greenish flowers but its large leaves and seed heads. The three-winged fruits (green drying to brown) each contains a single seed. This species is non-native.

 

Canaigre (Rumex hymenosepalus)

Unlike Curly Dock, Canaigre Dock (to use one of its names) is native.