Plants are tall, rather coarse growers with large, broad arrow-shaped leaves. Silverhull plants are smaller than Japanese with smaller leaves. The seeds are small, nearly round in cross section, glossy and gray in color. The hulls are thinner than in Japanese. A kind tenned Common Gray is probably identical with Silverhull.
Tartary buckwheat has small seeds, nearly round in cross section.
Color varies from gray to black. The hull may be smooth to rough and spiny. Leaves are relatively small, narrow and arrow-shaped. Plants may be almost viny in habit. The flour from Tartary buckwheat is inferior to that from Japanese or Silverhull.