The natural history of the northwoods . Family Polygonaceae , the Buckwheats Genus Polygonum , a highly variable genus, which includes annual or perennial forbs and shrubs. Some species are viney. The leaves are usually simple and alternate. The pink, green, or white flowers have jointed stalks and stems have swollen nodes.
Flowers can be either perfect or imperfect.
Some species have rhizomes or taproots. An annual, creeping vine. Fire top-kills smartweed. Smartweed can reproduce by seed or sprout from rhizomes following fire. Smartweeds usually sprout from seeds following fire.