Black Bindweed

Black Bindweed

Polygonum convolvulus

I had a lot of trouble identifying this plant.  It looks a lot like some other climbing, twining plants, such as Climbing False Buckwheat and other Bindweeds.  Different sources had different looking pictures of the flowers and seeds and had different descriptions of the plant, some saying that it's really short and only grows about a meter long and others saying that it grows to 100 inches long.

Finally, I realized that the botanists have had a hard time figuring it out as well.  Here is a list of all of the various scientific names (synonyms) that it has been given over the years:

• Polygonum convolvulus L.
• Fallopia convolvulus (L.) A. Löve
• Bilderdykia convolvulus (L.) Dumort
• Fagopyrum convolvulus (L.) H.Gross
• Fagopyrum carinatum Moench
• Helxine convolvulus (L.) Raf.
• Reynoutria convolvulus (L.) Shinners
• Tiniaria convolvulus (L.) Webb & Moq

I don't feel so bad about being puzzled by this plant knowing that everyone else is puzzled as well.

Hopefully these pictures are of the correct plant, but who knows. :-)