The genus Fagopyrum is in the flowering plant family Polygonaceae. It includes some important food plants, such as F. esculentum (buckwheat) and F. tataricum (Tartary buckwheat). The genus is native to the Indian subcontinent, much of Indochina, and central and southeastern China. Species have been widely introduced elsewhere, throughout the Holarctic and parts of Africa and South America. Description Fagopyrum contains 15 to 16 species of plants, including two important crop plants, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and Fagopyrum tataricum (Tartary buckwheat). The two have similar uses, and are classed as pseudocereals, because they are used in the same way as cereals but do not belong to the grass family Poaceae. Within Fagopyrum, the cultivated species are in the Cymosum group, including Fagopyrum cymosum or perennial buckwheat, the artificial hybrid Fagopyrum × giganteum, and Fagopyrum homotropicum. This genus has five-petaled flowers arranged in a compound raceme that produces laterally flowered cymose clusters. Taxonomy The genus Fagopyrum was first published by Philip Miller in 1754. It is placed in the tribe Fagopyreae (as the only genus) in the subfamily Polygonoideae. Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: Fagopyrum callianthum Ohnishi Fagopyrum capillatum Ohnishi Fagopyrum caudatum (Sam.) A.J.Li Fagopyrum crispatifolium J.L.Liu Fagopyrum cymosum (Trevir.) Meisn. Fagopyrum densivillosum J.L.Liu Fagopyrum esculentum Moench Fagopyrum gilesii (Hemsl.) Hedberg Fagopyrum gracilipedoides Ohsako & Ohnishi Fagopyrum gracilipes (Hemsl.) Dammer Fagopyrum homotropicum Ohnishi Fagopyrum jinshaense Ohsako & Ohnishi Fagopyrum kashmirianum Munshi Fagopyrum × kuntzei Beck Fagopyrum leptopodum (Diels) Hedberg Fagopyrum lineare (Sam.) Haraldson Fagopyrum longzhoushanense J.R.Shao Fagopyrum luojishanense J.R.Shao Fagopyrum macrocarpum Ohsako & Ohnishi Fagopyrum pleioramosum Ohnishi Fagopyrum pugense T.Yu Fagopyrum qiangcai D.Q.Bai Fagopyrum rubrifolium Ohsako & Ohnishi Fagopyrum statice (H.Lév.) Gross Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn. Fagopyrum tibeticum (A.J.Li) Adr.Sanchez & Jan.M.Burke Fagopyrum urophyllum (Bureau & Franch.) Gross Fagopyrum wenchuanense J.R.Shao Fagopyrum zuogongense Q.F.Chen See also List of edible seeds References External links USDA Plants Profile: Fagopyrum Flora of North America: Fagopyrum Jepson Manual Treatment: Fagopyrum https://web.archive.org/web/20150909164416/http://fagopyrum.uhostall.com/: Fagopyrum Journal Archive Polygonaceae genera Crops originating from Asia Taxa named by Philip Miller