Family, Buckwheat. Flowers, lacking corolla, consist of 6 sepals, 6 stamens, and 3 styles. The 3 inner sepals, called valves, bear each a grain-like body upon the back. They are larger than the 3 outer ones, and are often colored, petal-like. The 3 outer are leaf-like and green. Flowers borne upon slender pedicels, forming a long, green panicle. Leaves, oblong, or lance-shaped, very large, those near the root 1 or 2 feet long, their petioles sheathing the stem at the base. Stems coarse, tall, 5 to 10 feet, sometimes measuring 10 inches around at base. Summer.

Wet places everywhere, especially borders of streams.