46 
POLYGÓNUM amplexicaule. 
Stem-clasping Polygonum. 
OCTANDRIA TRYGYNIA. 
Nat. ord. POLYGONACEZX, 
POLYGONUM. Linn. . 
P. amplexicaule (Bistorta); caule erecto, foliis radicalibus longè petiolati« cor- 
datis ovatis acuminatis crenulatis integrisque costá subtüs tomentosá ; supre- 
mis amplexicaulibus, spicis elongatis acuminatis multifloris, bracteis ovatis 
acuminatis imbricatis margine scariosis, calyce petaloideo laciniis ovalibus 
obtusis, staminibus 8 exsertis. 
P. amplexicaule. Don prodr. fi. nep. 70. Meisner monogr. Polyg. 5l. in 
Wall. pl. as. rar. iii. 54. Babington in Linn. trans. xvii. 96. Bot. 
Reg. 1838. misc. no. 117. 
. speciosum. Meisn. l.c. 53. Wall. cat. no. 1716.! 
. ambiguum. Jd. 
. oxyphyllum. Jd. Wall. cat. no. 1715. ! 
. petiolatum. Don. l. c. 
ae kas kas kas) 
This seems to be a common Nepalese plant, varying 
in appearance like all species very extensively dispersed, and 
consequently divided into several spurious species upon the 
supposed evidence of dried specimens. Mr. Babington has 
rightly reduced to their true value the P. oxyphyllum and 
ambiguum of Meisner, and I add without hesitation the 
P. speciosum of the same author, which does not merit dis- 
tinction even as a variety. 
The seeds from which this was raised were received by 
the Horticultural Society from Dr. Falconer, the superinten- 
dent of the Botanical Garden of Saharunpur, as has already 
been briefly stated in this work, (volume for 1838, no. 117 
of the miscellaneous matter). No varieties were seen 
among the seedlings, and it is probable that the differences 
which have been remarked among the dried specimens were 
produced by local causes. 
