Tas. 4622. 
POLYGONUM vitae oe 
Whortle-berried Knotweed. 
Nat. Ord. Potygone®.—Octanpria TRIGYNIA: 
Gen. Char. Flores hermaphroditi v. abortu polygami. Perigonium sepissime 
coloratum, quinquefidum, rarius tri-quadrifidum, laciniis interdum inequalibus 
demum plerumque auctum. Stamina 5 v. 8, perigonii laciniis singulatim v. in- 
- terioribus etiam geminatim opposita, rarissime 4 v. 9 ; jilamenta subulata; anthere =~ 
: ovate, didymz, versatiles. Glandule perigyne v. rarius hypogyne, staminibus 
alternee, interdum nulle. Ovarium uniloculare,. compressum v. triquetrum ; 
ovulum unicum, basilare, orthotropum. Styli bi-trifidi, interdum subnulli. Stig- 
mata capitata. Achenium lenticulare v. triquetrum, perigonio inclusum. Semen 
achenio conforme, erectum. Hmbryo albuminis farinacei y. cornei angulum am- 
biens, antitropus, leviter arcuatus ; coty/edonibus incumbentibus anguste linearibus, 
v. accumbentibus foliaceis latis, albuminis sulco receptis; radicula longiuscula 
supera.—Herbee cosmopolite, inter tropicos rariores, annue v. perennes, interdum 
es suffrutescentes, nonnulle aquatica, quedam volubiles; foliis alternis, petiolatisv. 
.- sessilibus, integerrimis v. sinuatis, interdum crispato-undulatis, nonnunquam pel- — 
oe lucido-punctatis, ochreis membranaceis laxiusculis, floribus spicatis racemosis v, 
paniculatis, interdum-subcapitatis, bracteis nunc ochreis conformibus, nunc infun- — 
dibuliformi-turbinatis. Endl. * io eg 
Se PotyGonuM vacciniifoliwum; glaberrimum radicans fruticulosum ramosum de- _ 
cumbens, ramis copiosis erectis spiciferis, foliis approximatis ovatis in petio-— 
lum brevem attenuatis, racemis copiosis terminalibus lateribusque multiflo- 
ris, sepalis 5 (intense roseis), stylis 3-4, ochreis setacéo-fissis. £2 
+ PotyGonum vacciniifolium. Wall. Cat. n. 1695. Meisner in Wall. Pl. Asiat. 
Rar. v. 3. p.54. Royle, Bot, Himal. p. 317. t. 80. f. 2. eS ee 
__ Apparently a common Himalayan plant. Dr. Wallich’s col- 
lector, Blinkworth, first discovered it at Bhuddrinath (n. 1695 _ 
of the E. I. C.’s catalogue.) Major Madden found it extending 
_ from Buschur to Kumaoon, at elevations varying from 11,000 to 
13,000 feet above the level of the sea; and Dr. Thomson as well 
as Dr. Hooker met with it both in Eastern and Western Himalaya. 
_ We owe its introduction to this country, where it proves perfectly 
hardy, to Dr. Royle, and we have since raised plants from Dr 
_ Hooker’s seeds; and certainly a bed filled with this easily-in- 
- creased plant is as pretty an object as can well be imagined. 
The leaves ‘are quite concealed by the copious spikes of bright 
~ rose-coloured flowers, which continue blooming from August till 
ae DECEMBER Ist, 1851. ms Se ee es a ees 
