POLYGONUM. OCTANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 401 



trate ; seed acutely triangular, smooth and shining. J^ ut t. 

 Gen. I. p. 254. P. marinum Pursk FL I. p. 269. P. 

 maritimum Elliott Sk. I. p. 453. W marilimum, floribus 

 carneis speciosis. Clayt. Virg, 4d7, 



Root annual ? Stem procumbent and much branched, a foot and 

 a half or more in length, hard, and somewhat ligneous towards 

 the base, glaucous. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical, thick and 

 succulent, about three-fourths of an inch long, narrowed at the 

 base. Siifiules large and conspicuous, much lacerate, with 

 numerous nerves. Flowers twice as large as in P. avicutare^ 

 3 — 4 from each stipule, on pedicels 2 — 3 lines long. Perianth 

 white or pale rose-colour; segments ovate, obtuse. Stamens 

 included ; filaments very short, unequal, much dilated at the 

 base ; anthers roundish, red. Styles distinct ; stigmas capi- 

 tate. A''ut acuminate, very smooth and eveu, shining. 



Hab. On the sandy beach of Long-Island and New-Jersey. 

 August. 



I suspect this to be P. aviculare e. Smith FL Brit. I. p. 

 429, a variety growing on the sea-shore of Great-Britain, al- 

 tered by its maritime situation. It can hardly be P. maritimum 

 of Linn a u s^ a native of the shores of the Mediterranean, 

 lor that species is frutescent and evergreen, while our plant 

 appears to be decidedly annual. 



3,V,tenueMich.: stem slender, erect, branched, 

 acutely angular ; flowers alternate, subsolitary ; leaves linear, 

 acuminate, straight ; stipules tubular, lacerate, with the seg- 

 ments finely attenuate at the extremity. M i c h. FL I. p. 

 238. Pursh FL 1. p. 270. Elliott Sk. I. p. 454. 

 P. linifolium M uh L Cat. p. 41. 



Root annual. Stem 6 — 10 inches high, often simple, but gene- 

 rally more or less branched, with acute scabrous angles. 

 Leaves about an inch long, cuspidate, 3-nerved, cihate-serru- 

 late on the margin. Sti/iules tubulous and entire below, di- 

 vided above into several segments, which are setaceously acu- 

 minate. Flowers solitary and by pairs, on very short pedicels. 

 Segments oi ihe /lerianlh oblong, obtuse. Stamens ^ ; fila- 

 ments short, dilated at the base. Styles 3. JSTut acutely tri- 

 angular, smooth and shining, black. 



Hab! On rocks and in sandy fields. July — September. 



* * Flowers spiked. 



t Spike solitary^ terminal ; stamens 9 ; itigmai 2 ; nut 



triangular. Bistorta. 



4, P. viviparum L. : stem simple ; spike linear, solitary; 

 leaves linear-lanceolate, revolute on the margin ; the lower 

 ones elliptical, petiolate. Will d. Spec. U. ip. ^U. Smith 

 FL Brit. 1. p. 428. Ejig. Bot. t. 669. 



Iio»t perennial. Stem about 6 inches high, erect, quite simple, 

 51 



