42 CXIX. POLYGONACEX, (J. D. Hooker) = [Polygonum. 
auricled at the base; stipules glabrous or hairy, sometimes glandular, rarely ciliate. 
Heads 4-} in. diam. ; peduncles short or long, always glandular-hairy above; involu- 
cral leaf often longer than the head, sessile, ovate-cordate, obtuse or acute. Sepals 
white or pale purple, membranous, subequal, very variable in size. Stamens included. 
Style long with one or two long arms and capitate stigmas. Nut varying in size in 
the same head, closely invested with and cohering with the thin perianth-tube and 
crowned with its lobes.—I fail to discriminate between Meissner's P. perforatum and 
P. nepalense, and I have taken for both Hamilton's name of alatum as adopted by 
Sprengel for his punctatum. The absolute character whereby these supposed species 
were distinguished, that of the biconvex and trigonous nut, is accompanied by no 
other, and I have taken typical nuts of both forms from one head of a Nilghiri specimen. 
' Meissner himself observes that his nepalense has sometimes trigonous nuts. The 
character of glandular leaves again is most variable, and eglandular specimens are 
far the most abundant. Of the following forms some may prove to belong to distinct 
species, but I doubt it. . 
P. alatum proper; stems 1-2 ft., leaves large glandular or not, heads large, invol. 
leaf large, bracts obtuse or subacute, nut trigonous. P. alatum, Spreng. l. c. P. 
punctatum, Ham. mss.—Abundant. . 
Var. nepalense; stems 1-2 ft., leaves large glandular or not, heads large, invol. 
leaf large, bracts obtuse or subacute, nut biconvex. P. nepalense, Meissn. Monog. 
l. c. t. 7,f.2; Wall. Cat.l. c. P. guttuliferum, Mig. Pl. Hohenack., No. 968 (leaves 
glandular).—Abundant. 
Var. parviflora; stem 1-2 ft. slender, leaves about 1 in.; heads small on more 
slender peduncles, bracts acute, lower recurved, nut trigonous. P. perforatum, Meissn. 
l. e. excl. y.; Wall. Cat. 1700.— Conrmon, also in Ceylon (nuts flat). 
Var. arenaria ; smaller, diffusely branched, stem elongate prostrate with ascend- 
ing flowering branches, leaves 3-1 in. narrower eglandular, petiole shorter, beads large, 
invol.leaf very small, bracts obtuse, fruiting perianth with a median rib on each 
face, nut biconvex.—Sikkim, sands of the River Rungeet, &c., Clarke, Treutler. 
Var. Metziana ; small, diffusely branched from the base, branches very slender 
prostrate and ascending, leaves broad 3-1 in. long glandular or not, petiole short, 
heads small, peduncles very slender, invol. leaf large or small, bracts acute, nut tri- 
gonous or biconvex. P. Metzianum, Mig. in Herb. Hohenack., No. 610.—Specimens 
with 3-gonous nuts are from Sikkim and the Khasia Mts., at 5000 ft. ; Kumaon and 
Dalhousie, 7000 ft. ; and with flat nuts from Parusnath, the Khasia Mts., Canara, 
the Nilghiri Mts. and Ceylon, all at above 4000 ft. 
Var. rigidula; dwarf, nearly glabrous, stem 2-3 in. strict erect subsimple or 
dichotomously branched, leaves 4-} in. acute eglandular, petiole short, heads small . 
(large for the size of the plant), invol. leaf large or small, bracts acute or acuminate, 
flowers purple-red, nut biconvex.—Kunawur, Grant ; Sikkim, alt. 7300 ft., Clarke.— 
Very like small specimens of P. humile. 
Var. tenuicaulis ; very slender, diffusely branched, quite glabrous except the tips 
of the peduncles, leaves 3-3 in. very narrow acuminate glandular, heads very small, 
peduncles capillary, bracts acuminate recurved, nut trigonous.—Khasia Mts., alt. 
4-5000 ft., J. D. H. & T. T., Clarke. 
42. P. microcephalum, Don Prodr. 72; glabrous or sparsely 
hairy, stem rigid tall erect or decumbent below angled and grooved, leaves 
3-5 in. hastately ovate-lanceolate or -oblong acuminate abruptly narrowed 
into the long winged petiole, stipules truncate often ciliate, heads small, - 
peduncle filitorm quite glabrous, involucral leaf 0, bracts oblong obtuse 
more or less ciliate, nut 3-gonous granulate. Meissn. Monog. Polyg. 82, 
in Wall. Pl. As. Rar. ii. 59, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 199. P. statici- 
florum, Wall. Cat. 1704, excl. D. P. strigosum, Herb. Ham. ; Wall. Cat. 
1732, under P. Wallichii. ? P. ciliatum, Ham. in Don Prodr. 73. 
TEMPERATE HIMALAYA; Nepal, Wallich; SIKKIM, alt. 4-5000 ft, J. D. H. 
Kuasia Mrs. and SILHET, alt. 0-4000 ft. 
Root slender, perennial, woody ; stem 2-3 ft., often decumbent and rooting below 
at the nodes, glabrous or subhispid above. Leaves membranous, eglandular, ciliolate, 
