Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn., Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 182 1790. (Syn: Fagopyrum dentatum Moench; Fagopyrum rotundatum Bab.; Fagopyrum suffruticosum Fr. Schmidt; Helxine tatarica (L.) Kuntze; Phegopyrum tataricum (L.) Peterm.; Polygonum occidentale Herb. Berol. ex Meisn.; Polygonum sinarum Desv. ex Meisn.; Polygonum tataricum L.);
. Tibet to Central China: China North-Central, China South-Central, Tibet; Introduced into: Afghanistan, Albania, Alberta, Altay, Amur, Bangladesh, Belgium, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, China Southeast, Chita, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, East Himalaya, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Inner Mongolia, Irkutsk, Japan, Kamchatka, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Magadan, Maine, Manchuria, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New York, Newfoundland, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Poland, Primorye, Qinghai, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Sakhalin, Saskatchewan, South European Russi, Sweden, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tuva, Ukraine, Vermont, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Xinjiang, Yakutskiya, Yugoslavia as per POWO; .
Common name: Tartary Buckwheat, Duckwheat, India buckwheat, India wheat, Green buckwheat • Nepali: तिते फापर Tite Phaapar
. Fagopyrum tataricum, also known as Tartary buckwheat,[2] duckwheat,[3] India buckwheat,[3] India wheat,[3] green buckwheat,[3] ku qiao,[3] or bitter buckwheat,[4] is a domesticated food plant in the genus Fagopyrum in the family Polygonaceae. With another species in the same genus, common buckwheat, it is often counted as a cereal, but unlike the true cereals the buckwheats are not members of the grass family. Thus they are not related to true wheat. Tartary buckwheat is bitterer, but contains more rutin than common buckwheat. It also contains quercitrin.[5]Tartar buckwheat was domesticated in east Asia, and is also cultivated in Europe and North America.[6] While it is an unfamiliar food in the West, it is common in the Himalayan region today, as well as other regions in Southwest China such as Guizhou province. The plant has been cultivated in many parts of the world though when found among other crops it is considered a weed.[7][8]
Fagopyrum tataricum contains aromatic substances. The most important difference when compared to the aroma of Fagopyrum esculentum is the absence of salicylaldehyde and presence of naphthalene.[9]
Sharing some pictures for ID. Shot at Leh on 20 August 2014 at 11000 ft.
My guess is Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.
Appears close to images at Yes, is a Buckwheat.
There are 3 species recorded from Ladakh by Dickore & Klimes including Fagopyrum kashmirianum – this was described by Munshi but is morphologically close to F.esculentum and generally treated as the same species.
So this leaves a choice between F.esculentum and F.tartaricum, as has been suggested.
F.esculentum is the common buckwheat cultivated along the Himalaya especially in the higher inner valleys above 1800m incl. Ladakh.
F.tartaricum is even hardier than F.esculentum but thought to be of poorer quality. It may be grown up to 4050m in Ladakh incl. Nubra.
‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ state that F.tartaricum differs from F.esculentum “in having less conspicuous flower-clusters with smaller usually greenish flowers, nutlets with rough faces and toothed wavy angles.”
From the images, I am in agreement with Saroj that it is Fagopyrum tartaricum.
There is a very good selection of images of F.esculentum on Wikipedia Commons, see: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fagopyrum_esculentum
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