| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Synonyms: Calligonaceae Khalk.; Coccolobaceae F. A. Barkley, nom. nud.; Eriogonaceae G. Don; Persicariaceae Martinov; Rumicaceae Martinov
Common name: Buckwheat Family.
Number of genera 45. Number of species 1050.
Angiosperm. Magnoliopsida.
Disseminule an intact or entire fruit.
Fruits
Pistil(s) simple; 1; 1-pistillate. Fruit pericarpium, or anthocarp; simple; samara (Brunnichia); simple; acrosarcum, or diclesium, or pseudosamara; without persistent central column; with styles(s); at apex; within accessory organ(s); within hypanthium, or perianth, or tepals, or calyx; accrescent; persistent; soft calyx, or hard calyx; tepals (or perianth or sepals) not smooth, or smooth; tepals (or perianth or sepals) hooks, or tubercles, or reticulations; tepals (or perianth or sepals) forming wings, or not forming wings; with hypanthium cupular; with hypanthium fleshy (Coccoloba); 1-seeded; 1-seeded; (2–)3(–4)-carpellate (4 for Calligonum); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection angled, or terete; 3-angled; apex beaked; apex long beaked (& hooked (Tovara) or not); wall crustaceous; indehiscent. Epicarp black, or brown (all shades); dull, or shiny; durable; crustaceous, or thin; glabrous (without hairs); without armature; smooth, or not smooth; pitted, or roughened; without wing(s), or with wing(s) (from perianth); 3-winged; with wing(s) lateral; without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp absent. Endocarp absent (or nearly so). Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds
Aril absent. Seed larger than minute; triangular, or ovate; in transection triangular, or terete, or lenticular; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present, or absent; adnate to endocarp; without embryo surrounded and capped by viscid tissue; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; dull; surface smooth; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades); thin, or membranous; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding food reserve, or surrounding embryo. Hilum punctate. Endosperm development nuclear; copious; hard, or crystalline-granular, or fleshy-firm, or mealy, or soft (seldom); opaque, or transparent (semi-); smooth, or ruminate (Coccoloba); without starch, or with starch; with starch composed of solitary grains; with oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testa (with food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve), or completely filling testa (no food reserve); 0.5–1.6 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; peripheral, or axile and excentric; linear; straight, or arcuate, or C-shaped, or bent; lying along one side of perisperm, or embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed, or moderately developed; 0.3–0.8 times length of embryo; somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle, or as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1–3 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or entirely concealing hypocotyl-radicle; foliaceous, or not foliaceous; thin; flat, or convoluted, or once-folded; smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed, or moderately developed; straight; not thickened.
Distribution
North temperate. New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, Europe, Asia Major.
Notes
Perianth persistent tepals hooked or styles hooked.
Weed information
1 or more USA Federal noxious weeds, 1 or more USA state noxious weeds.
USA Federal noxious weeds: -- Emex australis Steinh.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: FL●, HI°, MA●, NC●. -- Emex spinosa (L.) Campd.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: FL●, HI●°, MA●, NC●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Alabama (AL), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Michigan (MI), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Puerto Rico (PR), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Vermont (VT), Washington (WA).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Emex australis Steinh.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: FL●, HI°, MA●, NC●. -- Emex spinosa (L.) Campd.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: FL●, HI●°, MA●, NC●. -- Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr.: USA state noxious weed: VT●. -- Polygonum amphibium var. emersum Michx. (=Persicaria amphibia (L.) Delarbre): USA state noxious weed: CAª. -- Polygonum cespitosum Blume (=Persicaria posumbu (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross): CT●.-- Polygonum convolvulus L. (=Fallopia convolvulus (L.) A. Löve): USA state noxious weed: AK°, KS°, OK●°. -- Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc. (=Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr.): USA state noxious weed: AL●, CA●, CT●, MA●, NH●, OR●, WA●. -- Polygonum perfoliatum L. (=Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross): USA state noxious weed: AL●, CT●, MA●, NC●, OH●, PA●. -- Polygonum polystachyum Wall. ex Meisn. (=Persicaria wallichii Greuter & Burdet): USA state noxious weed: CAª, OR●, WA●. -- Polygonum sachalinense F. Schmidt (=Fallopia sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Ronse Decr.): USA state noxious weed: CA●, CT●, OR●, WA●. -- Polygonum spp.: USA state noxious weed: PR●. -- Rumex acetosella L.: USA state noxious weed: AL°, CT●, FL°, GA°, IA●°, KY°, LA°, MO°, NE°, OK●°, SC°, TN°. -- Rumex altissimus Alph. Wood: USA state noxious weed: IA●°, NE°. -- Rumex conglomeratus Murray: USA state noxious weed: FL°. -- Rumex crispus L.: USA state noxious weed: AZ°, CO°, FL°, IA●°, IL°, IN°, MI°, MT°, NC°, NE°, NV°, OH°. -- Rumex obtusifolius L.: USA state noxious weed: FL°, NC°. -- Rumex spp.: USA state noxious weed: AL°, AR●°, CT°, GA°, KS°, LA°, MO°, MS°, NE°, OK°, SC°, TN°, TX°, WA°. -- Rumex venosus Pursh: USA state noxious weed: NE°. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.
ASOA listed seeds: -- Emex australis Steinh. -- Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. -- Eriogonum corymbosum Benth. -- Eriogonum Michx. spp. -- Eriogonum umbellatum Torr. -- Fagopyrum esculentum Moench -- Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn. -- Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib. = Fagopyrum esculentum Moench -- Fagopyrum vulgare Hill, nom. inval. = Fagopyrum esculentum Moench -- Fallopia convolvulus (L.) A. Love -- Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr. -- Fallopia sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Ronse Decr. -- Fallopia scandens (L.) Holub -- Persicaria amphibia (L.) Gray-- Persicaria bungeana (Turcz.) Nakai-- Persicaria capitata (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross-- Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Spach-- Persicaria lapathifolia (L.) Gray-- Persicaria maculosa Gray-- Persicaria pensylvanica (L.) M. Gómez-- Persicaria punctata (Elliott) Small-- Persicaria sagittata (L.) H. Gross-- Persicaria wallichii Greuter & Burdet-- Polygonum acre Kunth ["Polygonum acre Kunth, nom. illeg."] = Polygonum punctatum (Elliott) Small ["Polygonum punctatum Elliott"] -- Polygonum amphibium var. emersum Michx. = Persicaria amphibia (L.) Gray-- Polygonum argyrocoleon Steud. ex Kunze -- Polygonum aviculare L. -- Polygonum bungeanum Turcz. = Persicaria bungeana (Turcz.) Nakai-- Polygonum capitatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don = Persicaria capitatum (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross-- Polygonum coccineum Muhl. ex Willd. = Polygonum amphibium (L.) Gray ["= Polygonum amphibium (L.) Gray var. emersum Michx."] -- Polygonum convolvulus L. = Fallopia convolvulus (L.) A. Love -- Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc. = Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr. -- Polygonum hydropiper L. = Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Spach-- Polygonum kelloggii Greene = Polygonum polygaloides subsp. kelloggii (Greene) J. C. Hickman -- Polygonum lapathifolium L. = Persicaria lapathifolia L. -- Polygonum pensylanicum L. = Persicaria pensylvanica (L.) M. Gómez-- Polygonum persicaria L. = Persicaria maculosa Gray-- Polygonum polygaloides subsp. kelloggii (Greene) J. C. Hickman -- Polygonum polystachyum Wall. ex Meisn. = Persicaria wallichii Greuter & Burdet-- Polygonum punctatum Elliott = Persecaria punctata (Elliott) Small-- Polygonum ramosissimum Michx. -- Polygonum sachalinense F. Schmidt = Fallopia sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Ronse Decr. -- Polygonum sagittatum L. = Persicaria punctata (L.) H. Gross-- Polygonum scandens L. = Fallopia scandens (L.) Holub -- Polygonum L. spp. -- Rheum × hybridum Murray -- Rheum rhabarbarum auct. = Rheum × hybridum Murray -- Rumex acetosa L. -- Rumex acetosella L. -- Rumex altissimus Alph. Wood -- Rumex conglomeratus Murray -- Rumex crispus L. -- Rumex hastatulus Baldwin -- Rumex maritimus var. persicarioides (L.) R. S. Mitch. -- Rumex mexicanus Meisn. = Rumex salicifolius var. mexicanus (Meisn.) C. L. Hitchc. -- Rumex obtusifolius L. -- Rumex occidentalis S. Watson -- Rumex patientia L. -- Rumex persicarioides L. = Rumex maritimus var. persicarioides (L.) R. S. Mitch. -- Rumex pulcher L. -- Rumex salicifolius var. mexicanus (Meisn.) C. L. Hitchc. -- Rumex salicifolius Weinm. -- Rumex L. spp. -- Rumex stenophyllus Ledeb. -- Rumex venosus Pursh -- Last updated September 2008.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. -- Emex australis Steinh.w -- Emex spinosa (L.) Campd.w -- Fagopyrum esculentum Moencha -- Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib. = Fagopyrum esculentum Moench -- Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.w -- Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Lövew-- Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Spach-- Persicaria lapathifolia (L.) Gray-- Persicaria maculosa Gray-- Persicaria pensylvanica (L.) M. Gómez-- Persicaria punctata (Elliott) Small-- Persicaria senegalensis (Meisn.) Soják-- Polygonum argyrocoleon Steud. ex Kunzew -- Polygonum aviculare L.w -- Polygonum convolvulus L. = Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve-- Polygonum erectum L.w -- Polygonum hydropiper L. = Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Spach-- Polygonum lapathifolium L. = Persicaria lapathifolia (L.) Gray-- Polygonum pensylvanicum L. = Persicaria pensylvanica (L.) M. Gómez-- Polygonum persicaria L. = Persicaria maculosa Gray-- Polygonum punctatum Elliott = Persicaria punctata (Elliott) Small-- Polygonum senegalense Meisn. = Persicaria senegalensis (Meisn.) Soják-- Rheum officinale Baill. -- Rheum palmatum L.f -- Rheum rhabarbarum L. -- Rheum rhaponticum L.a -- Rumex acetosa L.a -- Rumex acetosella L.w -- Rumex altissimus Alph. Woodw-- Rumex conglomeratus Murrayw-- Rumex crispus L.w -- Rumex domesticus Hartm. = Rumex longifolius DC. -- Rumex hydrolapathum Huds. -- Rumex longifolius DC.w -- Rumex obtusifolius L.w -- Rumex vesicarius L.w -- Symbols: aagricultural and vegetable seeds (Table 2A Part 1); ttree and shrub species (Table 2A Part 2); fflower, spice, herb, and medicinal seeds (Table 2A Part 3); wweed seeds. -- Last updated September 2008.
Accepted genera
Afrobrunnichia Hutch. & Dalziel -- Antigonon Endl. -- Aristocapsa Reveal & Hardham -- Atraphaxis L. -- Brunnichia Banks ex Gaertn. -- Calligonum L. -- Centrostegia A. Gray -- Chorizanthe R. Br. ex Benth. -- Coccoloba P. Browne, nom. cons. -- Dedeckera Reveal & J. T. Howell -- Dodecahema Reveal & Hardham -- Emex Campd., nom. cons. -- Eriogonum Michx. -- Fagopyrum Mill., nom. cons. -- Fallopia Adans. -- Gilmania Coville -- Goodmania Reveal & Ertter -- Gymnopodium Rolfe -- Harfordia Greene & Parry -- Hollisteria S. Watson -- Homalocladium (F. Muell.) L. H. Bailey -- Knorringia (Czukav.) Tzvelev -- Koenigia L. -- Lastarriaea J. Rémy -- Leptogonum Benth. -- Mucronea Benth. -- Muehlenbeckia Meisn., nom. cons. -- Nemacaulis Nutt. -- Neomillspaughia S. F. Blake -- Oxygonum Burch. ex Campd. -- Oxyria Hill -- Oxytheca Nutt. -- Parapteropyrum A. J. Li -- Persicaria Mill. -- Podopterus Bonpl. -- Polygonella Michx. -- Polygonum L., nom. cons. -- Pteropyrum Jaub. & Spach -- Pterostegia Fisch. & C. A. Mey. -- Rheum L. -- Rumex L. -- Ruprechtia C. A. Mey. -- Stenogonum Nutt. -- Symmeria Benth. -- Systenotheca Reveal & Hardham -- Triplaris Loefl. ex L.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 277. Ronse DeCraene, L.P., S.-P. Hong, & E. Smets. 2000. Systematic significance of fruit morphology and anatomy in tribes Persicarieae and Polygoneae (Polygonaceae). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 134:301–337.
General references
Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) and 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) and 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. and C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminules listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, LeMaout, E. and J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, and Co., London, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Schopmeyer, C.S. 1974. Seeds of Woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450:1–883, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper and Row, New York, Mirle, C. and R.J. Burnham. 1999. Identification of asymmetrically winged samaras from the Western Hemisphere. Brittonia 51:1–14.
Illustrations
Acceptable fruit and no seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): Wood, Jr., Schopmeyer, Cronquist, LeMaout & Decaisne, Roosmalen, Gunn & Ritchie. Embryo illustration(s): Schopmeyer, Wood, Jr., Cronquist, LeMaout & Decaisne, Gunn & Ritchie.
• Fruit. 1 of 25. Afrobrunnichia erecta (Asch.) Hutch. & Dalz.: fruit. • Seed. 2 of 25. Afrobrunnichia erecta (Asch.) Hutch. & Dalz.: naked fruit. • Fruit. 3 of 25. Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn.: fruit. • Seed. 4 of 25. Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn.: naked fruit. • Fruit. 5 of 25. Emex australis Steinh.: fruit with calyx. • Seed. 6 of 25. Emex australis Steinh.: naked fruit. • Fruit. 7 of 25. Fagopyrum snowdenii (Hutch. & Dandy) S. P. Hong: fruit. • Seed. 8 of 25. Fagopyrum snowdenii (Hutch. & Dandy) S. P. Hong: naked fruit. • Fruit. 9 of 25. Persicaria sp.: fruit. • seed. 10 of 25. Persicaria sp.: naked fruits. • Fruit. 11 of 25. Bistorta elliptica (Willd. ex Spreng.) Kom.: fruits. • Fruit. 12 of 25. Rheum turkestanicum Janisch.: fruit. • Seed. 13 of 25. Rheum turkestanicum Janisch.: naked fruit. • Fruit. 14 of 25. Rumex venosus Pursh: fruit. • Seed. 15 of 25. Rumex venosus Pursh: naked fruits. • Embryo. 16 of 25. Coccoloba schiedeana Lindau: embryo. • Embryo. 17 of 25. Emex australis Steinh.: embryo. • Embryo. 18 of 25. Emex spinosa (L.) Campd.: embryo. • Embryo. 19 of 25. Muehlenbeckia sagittifolia Meisn.: embryo. • Embryo. 20 of 25. Oxygonum atriplicifolium (Meisn.) Martel.: embryo. • Embryo. 21 of 25. Polygonum nepalense Meish.: embryo. • Embryo. 22 of 25. Polygonum segetum Kunth: embryo. • Embryo. 23 of 25. Polygonum senticosum (Meisn.) Franch. & Sav.: embryo. • Embryo. 24 of 25. Rumex abyssinicus Jacq.: embryo. • Embryo. 25 of 25. Rumex bequaerti DeWild.: embryo.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2000 onwards. Family guide for fruits and seeds: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 12th April 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
