Common Name: Tartarian Buckwheat

General Information

Fagopyrum tataricum is an erect, branched annual plant usually growing around 30 - 70cm tall, though it can reach 100cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is occasionally cultivated for its edible seed, especially in mountainous regions of the temperate zone[, ], being particularly grown at higher elevations up to 4,500 metres[].

Known Hazards

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

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - mountainous regions in central and southern China

Habitat

Found at heights up to 4,400 metres in the Himalayas from Pakistan to Bhutan.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Fagopyrum tataricum is an annual plant, native to mountainous regions in the temperate zone, where it is sometimes cultivated at elevations up to 4,500 metres.
A very easily grown plant, it prefers dry sandy soils but succeeds in most conditions including poor, heavy or acid soils[] and even sub-soils. Prefers a cool moist climate, also succeeds in dry and arid regions.
Tartarian buckwheat is hardier and more resistant to cold than the more commonly grown buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), though it does not yield so highly[].
There is at least one named variety[]. 'Madawaska' is more cold hardy and drought tolerant than the type[].

Edible Uses

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[, , , , ]. Of poorer quality than that obtained from F. esculentum, it has a dark colour and a bitter taste[]. 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[, ].

Medicinal

The bark is astringent[].

The leaves are a very rich source of the bioflavonoid rutin. Rutin is an antioxidant and has a range of positive health benefits, especially to the circulatory system and the eyes. It is often sold as a health supplement. This species is a better source of rutin than the common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), containing between 45 - 80% more rutin
than the latter, and maintaining its high rutin content for a longer period[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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.