258 Rhodora [November 



** R. obtusifolius L., var. syhrstris (Lam.) Koch. Lower leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute. Digby Co.: roadside ditches, Sandy Cove. 

 Naturalized also about Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and 

 Bay of Islands, Newfoundland. 



R. marittmus L., var. FUEOINU8 (Phil.) Dusen. See St. John, 

 Ehodora, xvii. 81 (1915). Queens Co.: brackish sands, scarce, 

 Central Port Mouton and at mouth of Broad River. See p. 158. 



It. Acctosa L. Thoroughly naturalized in damp fields and swales, 

 Yarmouth and Digby Cos. and occasional elsewhere. See pp. 95, 

 107. 



Polygonum lapathifolium L. Sp. PI. i. 300 (1753) as to name-bring- 

 ing synonym. P. pcnnsyl rani cum, var. Curt. PI. Loud. i. t. 25 (1777). 

 P. lapathi [foli urn, var. pecticale Stokes in With., Bot. Arr. ed. 2, i. 

 412 (1787). P. lapath., var. macvlatum Sibth. PI. Oxon. 129 (1794). 

 P. nodosum Pers. Syn. i. 440 (1S05). Persicaria maculala (Sibth.) 

 S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. PI. ii. 270 (1821). Peutalis nodosa (Pers.) 

 Haf. PI. tell. hi. 14 (1836). Pol. lapath., var. nodosum (Pers.) Wein. 

 Enum. Petrop. 42 (1837). Persicaria nodosa (Pers.) Opiz, Sezn. 

 72 (1852). Pol, lapath., subsp. macvlatum (Sibth.) Dyer & Trinien, 

 Journ. Bot. ix. 36 (1871). Pol. maculatwn (Sibth.) Babington, Man. 

 ed. 7, 301 (1874). — Local weed in cultivated land, Yarmouth. 



I see no reason to restrict the name P. lapathifolium L. to P. tca- 

 hr inn- Moench, as is done by some European authors. Admitting 

 (hat the Linnean species was a mixture of that and the purplish- 

 flowered plant separated as P. nodosum Pers., we have two essential 

 facts which lead to the retention of P. lapathifolium for P. nodosum. 

 Linnaeus's account was as follows: 



"Lapathifolium (>. POLYGONUM floribus pentandris semidigynis, 

 staminibus corollae regulari aequalibus. 

 Persicaria floribus pentandris digynis, corolla regu- 

 lar]' staminibus aequali. Wach. ultr. 257. 

 Persicaria florum staminibus quinis semidygnis, 

 stylo bifido corollae regulari aequantibus. Hort. 

 cliff. 42. 

 Persicaria major, lapathi foliis, calycc Boris pur- 

 pureo. Tournef. inst. 510. Raj. suppl. 119. 

 Persicaria Hydropiper. Lob. ic. 315. 

 Habitat in Gallia." 

 Prom this it should be quite clear that Linnaeus derived his specific 

 name from Persicaria major, lapathi foliis, calycc fioris purpurea of 

 Tournefort and of Ray. On reference to Tournefort we find nothing 

 but the brief description above quoted, but Ray in his full account 

 says " Calix purpurascens lineam unam longus est," which better 

 describes the shorter perianth of P. nodosum than the longer, usually 



