36 CXIX. POLYGONACEX. (J.D. Hooker) [Polygonum. 
or ascending, leaves subsessile elliptic-oblong or lanceolate eglandular, 
stipules usually hirsute and ciliate, racemes oblong dense-fid., bracts ciliate, 
pedicels glabrous, perianth red eglandular nerves slender, stamens usually 
6. Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv.1.117 ; Reichb. Ic. Crit. v. 55, t. 491; Engl. 
Bot. t. 756. 
Western HIMALAYA ; Kashmir, Falconer, &c. WESTERN TIBET, alt. 9-14,000 ft., 
Thomson, &c.—DisTRIB. N. and W. Asia, Europe, Africa, N. America, . 
Under P. lapathifolium Y have alluded to the difficulty of distinguishing this 
plant from its var. nodosa, in India at any rate. I must leave a further study of the 
forms of both to Indian botanists, with living specimens to work upon. . 
29. P. minus, Huds.; Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 111; slender, 
erect or ascending, glabrous, leaves sessile linear- or oblong-lanceolate sub- 
acute, stipules sparsely strigose truncate ciliate cilia much shorter than the 
tube, racemes erect filiform, bracts close rarely interrupted glabrous ciliate, 
perianth eglandular, nut polished. Boiss. Fl. Orient. iv. 1029; Miquel Fl. 
nd. Bat. i. 1002. P. Posumbu, Wall. Cat. 1722 (not of Ham.). P.tenellum, 
Blume Bijd. 530. P. hypostictum, Miquel in Herb. Hohen., No. 971. P. 
Banca, Herb. Ham. P. strictum, Allioni; Wight Ic. t. 1800. 
Throughout the hotter parts of India, from Assam and CHITTAGONG to KASH- 
MIR, and southward to TRAVANCORE, ascends the Himalaya to 6000 ft. CEYLON, 
ascending to 4000 ft.—DISTRIB. Europe, Temperate and Tropical Asia. 
Stem sometimes creeping, 6-10 in. high or long, much branched or simple. 
Leaves usually under 2 in., glabrous or puberulous beneath, or minutely strigose on 
the midrib beneath; stipules 1—3 in., with stiff closely appressed bristles. Racemes 
4-1 in., erect; flowers minute. Nut orbicular.— The nuts are rather smaller than 
in European specimens, but I find no other difference. Wight describes the Nilghiri 
plant as 2-3-gynous and 5-6-androus, Small states cf P. serrulatum are with 
difficulty distinguished from this. 
30. P. assamicum, JMeissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1l. 111; diffusely 
branched and creeping, and ascending, branches glabrous, leaves dark green 
when dry petioled elliptic-ovate or -lanceolate subacute or acuminate 
glabrous or with the nerves beneath setulose and margins ciliate, stipules 
strigose cilia as long as the tube, racemes 1-13 in. very slender and on ver 
slender pedicels, bracts interrupted glabrous truncate ciliate, periant 
eglandular, stamens 5 or 6. 
Assam, Wallich, Masters; CACHAR, J. D. H. 4 T. T.—DisrRIB. Burma, 
Griffith. 
The prostrate habit, dark-green petioled broader leaves, longer cilia of the 
stipules and more slender interrupted racemes, at once distinguish this remarkable 
species, which has the colour of P. tinctorium when dry. The Burmese specimen is 
very much stouter than the Assam and Cachar ones, and has leaves 4 by 1j in. The 
nut is like that of P. minus. 
tt Styles 3, rarely 2. Nut 3-gonous, rarely biconvez. 
31. P. viscosum, Ham. in Don Prodr.71; annual, stem ascending 
and branches hirsute with spreading bristly hairs and glands, leaves shortly 
petioled lanceolate acute or acuminate strigose, stipules short hirsute, 
racemes 1-14 in. erect, bracts close strigose and ciliate, perianth eglandular. 
Meissn. Monog. Polyg. 73; in Wall. Pl. As. Rar. iii. 55,andin DOC. Prodr. 
xiv. 1. 102; Wall. Cat. 1713. P. strigosum & hirsutum, Herb. Ham. — 
Nepal, Hamilton; Kuasta Mrs., SILHET and Cacnan, De Silva, Griffith, &c. 
| Stem 1-3 ft., stout or slender, hollow, hairs flexuous, glandular or not. Leaves 
2-7 in., glandular or not beneath, usually drying brown, stipules 3-3 in. Racemes 
