Polygonums| IX. POLYGONACEH (BAKER AND WRIGHT). 105 
Meisn. Monogr. Polyg. 84, t. 7, fig. 2, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 128; 
Wight, Ic. t. 1804; A. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. ii. 227; Aschers. in 
Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 170, incl. var. simense; Engl. Hochge- 
birgsfl. Trop. Afr. 203. P. perforatum, Meisn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 
128. 
Upper Guinea. Fernando Po, 7500 ft., Mann, 1449! 
Wile Land. Abyssinia: near Adowa, Schimper, 293! Debra-Eski, Schimper, 
69 ; Amogoi, Schimper, 256 ; Gondar, Schimper, 677 ; and without precise locality, 
Schimper, 303! Uganda: Ruwenzori, Scott-Elliot, 7738 ! 
Mozamb. Dist. British Central Africa: Nyasaland, Buchanan, 411! 163! 
Also in Madagascar and Tropical Asia, 
2. P. aviculare, Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. i. 362. Annual, glabrous, 
much-branched from the base. Stems slender, spreading or ascending. 
Leaves linear or linear-oblong, the lower 1-14 in. long, narrowed to a 
short winged petiole; ochre white, membranous, bifid, many-nerved. 
Flowers from the axils of the upper leaves and forming a short dense 
terminal raceme ; bracts ovate, white, membranous, not ciliate; pedicels 
shorter than the bracts. Perianth 1 lin.-long. Nut ovoid-trigonous, 
not longer than the perianth, minutely rugose, not shining.—Meisn. in 
DC. Prodr. xiv. 97; A. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. ii. 228 (excl. syn. P. 
herniarioides, Del.) ; var. diffuswm, Meisn. l.c.; Aschers. in Schweint. 
Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 170; Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 201. 
Nile Land. Abyssinia: Amogoi, Schimper, 245! and without precise locality, 
Schimper, 968 ! 
A native of the North Temperate Zone of the Old World ; now widely dispersed. 
3. P. plebeium, 2. Br. Prodr. 420. Very similar to P. aviculare. 
Stems trailing, with shorter internodes. Leaves linear-oblong, 3-6 lin. 
long ; ochrez more lacerate, with fewer ribs. Flowers smaller. Nut 
Smaller, ovoid-trigonous, smooth and shining.—Meisn. in DC. Prodr. 
xiv. 94; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. v. 27. P. herniarioides, Delile, F). 
“Egypt. Illustr. 61; Meisn. l.c.; Garcke in Peters, Reise Mossamb. 
Bot. 502 (var. foliosum) ; Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 201; Hiern 
in Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. i. 903; Baum, Kunene-Samb. Exped. 230. 
P. aviculare, A. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. ii. 228, partly. P. Roxburghii and 
P. Perrottetii, Meisn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 93-94. P. Dryandri, Spreng. 
Syst. ii. 255. P. linifolium, Perrottet ex Meisn. Monogr. Polyg. 90. 
P. exiguum, Meisn. Monogr. Polyg. 90; Benth. in Hook. Niger Fi. 
496, not of others. 
Upper Guinea. Senegal, Roger, 16! Perrottet ! 
Nile Land. Eritrea: Saganeiti, Schweinfurth §& Riva, 1247! Plateau of 
Kohaito, Schweinfurth, 185. Abyssinia: near Adowa, Schimper, 142! near Djelad- 
Jeranne, Schimper, 1581! Sudan: Khartoum, Brovn, 6475! Banks of the Nile, 
Sieber ! 
Lower Guinea. Angola: Mossamedes ; at the River Bero, Welwitsch, 5372 ! 
Huilla ; near Ohai, Welwitsch, 5373! Chitanda River, Baum, 131! German Soutl.- 
west Africa: Amboland ; Olukonda, Rautanen, 20! 
