Polygonaceae

Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants known as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum, and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name refers to the many swollen nodes the stems of some species have, being derived from Greek, poly meaning 'many' and gony meaning 'knee' or 'joint'. The Polygonaceae comprise about 1200 species distributed into about 48 genera. The largest genera are Eriogonum (240 species), Rumex (200 species), Coccoloba (120 species), Knotweed (80 species) and Persicaria (80 species).

Description

The Polygonaceae are herbs, shrubs, and small trees. Members of the family are present worldwide, but they are most diverse in the North Temperate Zone. Several are cultivated as ornamentals. A few species of Triplaris provide lumber. The fruit of the sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera) is eaten, and in Florida, jelly is made from it and sold commercially. The seeds of two species of Fagopyrum, known as buckwheat, are edible.

Taxonomy

The family includes the formerly recognised families Polygonaceae and Fagopyraceae. The APG III system of 2009 also includes the families Avicenniaceae, Barbeyaceae, Eriogonaceae, Gisekiaceae, Polygonaceae, and Plumbaginaceae. This results in a much larger family than traditionally circumscribed.

External links

• Polygonaceae in the Missouri Botanical Garden

Polygonaceae Resources
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