Tap. 6472. 
POLYGONUM AFFINE. 
Native of the Himalaya. 
Nat. Ord. Potyagonacem.—Tribe EUPOLYGONER. 
Genus Potyaonum, Linn.; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 97 [ined.].) 
Potyaonvm (Bistorta) affine; caule humili prostrato ligno hypogo ramoso, ramis 
brevibus fasciculatis, foliis plerisque radicalibus anguste  elliptico-lanceo- 
latis v. oblanceolatis obtusis v. acutis in petiolum brevem v. elongatum angus- 
tatis marginibus recurvis crispato-crenulatis tenuiter reticulatim venosis, 
caulinis parvis elliptico-lanceolatis acutis sessilibas, caulibus floriferis erectis 
4-8 pollicaribus foliosis, racemis spiciformibus solitariis cylindraceis compactis, 
floribus roseis, perianthii explanati segmentis ellipticis v. obovatis obtusis, 
filamentis 8 stylisque 3 filiformibus. 
P. affine, Don Prodr. p. 70; Babingt. in Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xviii. p. 97. 3 
P. Donianum, Spreng. Syst., Cur. Post. p. 154. 
P. Brunonis, Wall. Cat. 1692; Royle Ill. Pl. Himal. p. 317, t. 80; Meissn. in 
Wall. Pl. As. Rar. vol. iii. p. 54; Paat. Fl. Gard. t. 37; Lemaire Jard. 
Fleur, t. 117. 
The erect herbaceous perennial Polygona of the section 
Bistorta, form one of the most beautiful features of the sub- 
Alpine Himalayan Flora, ornamenting the wet river banks 
and meadows, where growing amongst the grass they con- 
tribute much to the herbage, or hanging in rosy clumps from 
the moist precipices. P. affine is one of the latter set; 1t 
abounds in the Himalayan valleys from Kumaon westward 
to Kashmir, growing at elevations of 9,000 to 14,000 feet, 
but has not been found in Nepal, as often stated. In the 
Eastern Himalaya and in the Khasia Mountains it is replaced 
by P. paleaceum, Wall., a plant not recorded in Meissner’s 
monograph of the genus in De Candolle’s Prodromus, and 
which is perhaps referable to his P. sphwrostachywm. An- 
other and a very beautiful ally of these is P. vacciniifolium, 
Wall. (tab. nostr. 4622), which is one of the most orna- 
mental rock-plants ever introduced into this country. 
Polygonum affine has been long cultivated at Kew, and 
flowers freely in the open border in September and October. 
JANUARY Ist, 1880. - 
