Tas. 6503. 
POLYGONUM cosprparum. 
Native of Japan. 
Nat. Ord. Potygonacr#.—Tribe Evpotyaonen. 
Genus Poryeonum, Linn. ; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p- 97.) 
Po.tyeonvm (Pleuropterus) euspidatum ; glaberrimum, caulibus e rhizomato sub- 
terraneo perplurimis fasciculatis elatis robustis inclinatis foliosis, foliis petiolatis 
late cordato-ovatis v. ovatis basi late truncata acuminatis utrinque elevato- 
reticulatis, ochreis brevissimis deciduis, racemis axillaribus folio brevicribus 
sessilibus solitariis simplicibus v. basi ramosis v. paniculatis ramis divaricatis, 
bracteis ovatis obtusis 1-plurifloris rachique puberulis, pedicellis capillaribus 
infra ‘medium articulatis, calyce fructifero obcordato late 3-alato, stylis 3 
brevibus. 
P. cuspidatum, Sieb. et Zuce. Fl. Jap. Fam. Nat.2, p.84; Meissn.in DC. Prodr. 
xiv. pars 1, p. 136; Regel, Gartenfl. vol. ix. p. 152, t. 291; Grenl. in Rev. 
Hortic. 1858, p. 30, cum Ic.; Mig. Prolus. Fl. Jap. p. 300; Franch. et 
Savat. En. Pl. Jap. vol. i. p. 404. 
P. Sieboldi, de Vriese in Ned. Kruidk. Arch. vol, ii. p. 254, et in Jahrb, Kon. 
Ned. Maatsch. 1850, cum Ic. ; Lindl. et Paxt. Mag. Bot. vol. i. p. 137, 
cum Ic. ; Fl. Gard. 1852, part i. p. 137, f. 90. : 
Under P. compactum, figured at Tab. 6476 of this volume, 
I have alluded to that plant as possibly a form of P. cus- 
pidatum, differing very much in habit ; but a re-examination 
of the Garden and Herbarium specimens tends to show 
them to be specifically distinct, especially in the form of 
the fruiting calyx, which in P. cuspidatum is obcordate and 
much narrowed at the base, but in the native specimen of 
P. compactum is almost orbicular, and abruptly narrowed 
into the pedicel; the crisped margins of the leaves, too, are 
apparently a permanent character of the latter-named 
species. There is still a third species of this group to 
figure, the P. sachaliense, the largest of all, and of which a 
drawing is prepared for this work. 
P. cuspidatum is a native of Japan, and there is in the 
Herbarium a very similar plant from North China, collected 
by Dr. G. Shearer at Kieu Kiang; the specimens of this 
JULY 1st, 1880. 
