Polygonaceae (rhubarb family)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Core Eudicots > Order: Caryophyllales

There are about 1100 species in 43 genera, occurring worldwide, with 56 species (10 exotic) and 8 genera (3 exotic) in southern Africa.

Information from

Emex Two species. Emex australis is native to southern Africa.
* Fagopyrum (Buckwheat genus) The 8 species are native to Europe and Asia. Fagopyrum esculentum (Buckwheat) is cultivated in southern Africa and occasionally occurs as an escape.
* Fallopia About 9 species, native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. The cosmopolitan weed Fallopia convolvulus, has become naturalised in southern Africa.
Oxygonum About 32 species, native to Africa and Madagascar, with 6 species occurring in southern Africa.
Persicaria About 150 species, found in temperate regions worldwide, with 10 species (some introduced) occurring in southern Africa.
Polygonum About 20 species, native mainly to the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Five species (some introduced) occur in southern Africa.
* Reynoutria About 15 species, native to temperate Asia. Reynoutria sachalinensis occurs occasionally as an escape in southern Africa.
Rumex Over 200 species, found mainly in temperate regions worldwide, with about 18 species (some introduced) in southern Africa.

Information from Glen (2002).

Antigonon Confederate Vine, Mexican Creeper Antigonon leptopus originates from Mexico and is cultivated in southern African gardens.
Coccoloba Two species are cultivated in southern Africa.
Homalocladium Tapeworm bush Homalocladium platycladium originates from the Solomon Islands and is cultivated in southern Africa.
Muehlenbeckia Four species are cultivated in southern Africa.
Oxyria Oxyria digyna, which originates from north temperate regions, is cultivated in southern Africa.
Rheum (Rhubarb genus) Rhubarb Rheum x cultorum is cultivated as a vegetable in southern Africa.
Triplaris Triplaris americana (Palo santo, Triplaris, Ant Tree) is indigenous from Panama to Brazil and is cultivated in southern Africa. It is a declared Category 1 invasive plant in South Africa.

Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated plants of southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Germishuizen, G. 2000. Polygonaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 451-453). National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.