Herb: Tartarian Buckwheat


Latin name: Fagopyrum tataricum


Synonyms: Polygonum tataricum


Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)



Medicinal use of Tartarian Buckwheat:

The bark is astringent.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
80 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Found at heights up to 4400 metres in the Himalayas from Pakistan to Bhutan.

Edible parts of Tartarian Buckwheat:

Leaves - raw or cooked. Acceptable raw when added in small quantities to mixed chopped salads, otherwise the leaves are much better cooked. They are rich in rutin. Seed - cooked as a cereal.The seed can also be sprouted and used in salads, or ground into a powder and used as a cereal. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow from the middle of spring to early summer in situ. The seed usually germinates in 5 days. The earlier sowings are for a seed or leaf crop whilst the later sowings are used mainly for leaf crops or green manure.

Cultivation of Tartarian Buckwheat:

Found at heights up to 4400 metres in the Himalayas from Pakistan to Bhutan.

Known hazards of Fagopyrum tataricum:

The plant has caused photosensitivity in some people, the dehusked grain is said to be safe.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.