| Bistorta bistortoides | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Bistorta |
| Species: | B. bistortoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Bistorta bistortoides (Pursh) Small 1906 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Bistorta bistortoides (American bistort, western bistort, smokeweed, mountain meadow knotweed, mountain buckwheat or mountain meadow buckwheat) is a perennial herb in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae.
Description
Bistorta bistortoides plants generally grow to 10–51 centimetres (4–20 inches) tall. Individuals growing above 2,250 metres (7,380 feet) are smaller, seldom reaching more than 30 cm (12 in) in height.
The leaves are leathery and 2.5–10 cm (1–4 in) long, being mostly basal on the stem. The dense cylindrical to oblong inflorescence is 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) long and packed with small white to pinkish flowers, each a few millimeters wide and with protruding stamens.
Taxonomy
The species name remains unresolved.
Distribution and habitat
B. bistortoides is distributed throughout the Mountain West in North America from Alaska and British Columbia south into California and east into the Rocky Mountains.
The plant grows from foothills to above the timberline.
Ecology
Rodents and bears consume the roots, and elk and deer browse the foliage.
Uses
American bistort was an important food plant used by Native Americans living in the Mountain West, including Blackfoot and Cheyenne peoples. The roots are edible either raw or fire-roasted with a flavor resembling chestnuts. The seeds can be dried and ground into flour and used to make bread. They were also roasted and eaten as a cracked grain. The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
References
- ^ "The Plant List: Bistorta bistortoides (Pursh) Small". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic Garden. 2013.
- ^ Benoliel, Doug (2011). Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Rev. and updated ed.). Seattle, WA: Skipstone. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-59485-366-1. OCLC 668195076.
- Flora of North America, Bistorta bistortoides (Pursh) Small, 1906. Western or American bistort , smokeweed
- Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
- Turner Photographics, Polygonum bistortoides – Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest photos, description, partial distribution map
- Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 71. ISBN 1-4930-3633-5. OCLC 1073035766.
- Edibility: Identification and edible parts of American Bistort
- Tilford, G. L. Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West ISBN 0-87842-359-1
External links
Media related to Bistorta bistortoides at Wikimedia Commons- Jepson Manual Treatment – Polygonum bistortoides
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
- Polygonum bistortoides – Callphotos Photo gallery, University of California
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Bistorta bistortoides |
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| Polygonum bistortoides | |
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 | This Polygonaceae article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- Bistorta
- Plants described in 1813
- Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Flora of Western Canada
- Flora of the Northwestern United States
- Flora of the Southwestern United States
- Flora of the South-Central United States
- Plants used in Native American cuisine
- Vegetable stubs
- Polygonaceae stubs