46 CXIX. POLYGONACEX. (J. D. Hooker) [Polygonum. 
Perennial?. Stems creeping and often tufted at the base, above rambling over 
bushes, sometimes quite smooth even at the nodes. Leaves 1-2 in., membranous, some- 
times sparsely hairy beneath, ciliolate or not, midrib beneath smooth or scabrid ; 
petiole very slender, smooth or scabrid ; stipules truncate, base naked or with a ring 
of reversed prickles. Spikes 1-1 in. long, on almost capillary peduncles; flowers 
distant in Himalayan specimens, closer in Khasian ; bracts ovate or lanceolate, hispid 
and ciliate or glabrate. Perianth white or pink. Stamens 5 or 6. Styles very 
slender, connate below. Nut ovoid, with acute angles, pale, smooth, shining.— 
Wallich's Nepal specimens have the spikes and bracts densely glandular-pubescent 
or glabrate, and partially exserted nuts, Sikkim ones have perfectly smooth and 
glabrous stems, stipules, spikes and bracts, eciliate stipules, and smaller flowers with 
subacute sepals much shorter than the nut; they may form a different species. 
Khasian ones have subcapitate densely glandular-pubescent spikes, and nuts 
closely wrapped in the perianth, the segments of which are obtuse as in the Nepal 
specimens, Z 
50. P. arifolium, Linn.; Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 184; stem 
very slender flaccid smooth or angles retrorsely scabrid, leaves long-petioled - 
broadly hastate acuminate basal lobes spreading acute, stipules very short 
hispid and ciliolate, peduncles glandular-hispid, heads small few-fld., involu- 
cral leaves 1-2 linear, bracts small hispid, nuts broadly trigonous exserted. 
Polyg. n. 53, Herb. Ind. Or. H. f. & T. 
SIKKIM HIMALAYA; Dikeeling, alt. 7000 ft., Clarke. Kasia Mrs., in woods, 
alt. 5000 ft., J. D. H. & T. T.—DISTRIB. N. America. 
Stems 2-3 ft., weak. Leaves 2-3 in., membranous, ciliolate, glabrous, or sparsely 
setose on the nerves beneath and on one or both surfaces, base truncate; petiole nearly as 
long as the blade, very slender, smooth or scabrid; stipules } in. long, lax, base naked 
or witli a few retrorse hairs, Heads small, very few-fid., on strict forked peduncles, 
usually subtended by one or two narrow spreading ciliate invol. leaves; bracts very 
small, lanceolate, acute, ciliate; flowers small. Perianth 5-cleft. Stamens5. Styles 
very slender, connate below. Nut ovoid, acutely 3-gonous, acute, pale, shining.— 
This is a slender form of the American plant quite like some Pennsylvanian speci- 
mens. Flowers and ripe fruits are formed on short stolons from the creeping base of 
the stem. 
** Nut included in the perianth. 
51. P. perfoliatum, Linn.; Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 1392 ; stem 
rambling or climbing, flexuous angles and petioles with stout recurved . 
prickles, leaves very long-petioled peltate deltoid angles obtuse or subacute, . 
stipules foliaceous orbicular amplexicaul, peduncles smooth or sparingly 
prickly, racémes solitary short, bracts broad rounded glabrous, nut globose 
obscurely 3-gonous. Roxb. FI. Ind. ii. 288; Wall. Cat. 1696; Lamk. Ill. 
t. 315, f. 9; Burm. Fl. Ind. 90, t. 31, f. 2. Echinocaulos perfoliatus, 
Hassk. Cat. Hort. Bogor. 85, and Pl. Rar. Jav. 220. Chilocalyx perfo- 
intus, Hassk. in Flor. Bot. Zeit. 1842, Beibl. ii. 20; Miquel Fl. Ind. Bat. 
i. 1013. 
CENTRAL and EASTERN HIMALAYA; Nepal, Wallich; Sikkim, alt. 4-5000 ft., 
J. D. H.; Bhotan, Booth, Kuasta Mrs., alt. 4000 ft., J. D. H. & T. T. BENGAL, 
in the Jheels, &c. SILHET, Wallich. CACHAR, Keenan, —DISTRIB. Java, China, 
Japan, 
Ptem rambling for several feet. Leaves 2-5 in. long and broad, membranous, 
midrib and nerves beneath sometimes prickly ; petiole slender, as long as the blade; 
. stipules j-1 in. diam. — Peduncles very short; racemes 1-$ in.; bracts membranous; 
flowers white or lilac, large for the genus. .Perianth-lobes rounded. Stamens 8. 
Styles short, connate below, Nut large, black, apiculate, included in the often fleshy 
perianth. Cotyledons very large, radicle short inflexed accumbent.— Leaves acid, 
eaten in Cachar, Keenan. 
