402 OCTANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. roLYcfoNui^, 



smooth. Leaves an inch or more in length, Gonspicuously re- 

 volute on the margin, with a prominent midrib. Stifiules tubu* 

 lar, smooth, entire, obtuse. Spike about an inch and a half long, 

 linear; the lower part, and somelimi^s the whole, bearing 

 small red bulbs instead of flowers. Perianth pale red, with 

 obtuse segments. 

 Hab. On the White Hills of New-Hampshire. August. Bo get. 

 In a specimen of this plant from this locality, for which I am: 

 indebted to Dr. Big e low, the spike is almost entirely bul- 

 biferous, there being scarcely a perfect flower upon it. It is 

 by these viviparous bulbs that the plant generally propagates 

 itself, for it seldom produces perfect seeds. 



i t Sfiikes axillary or lermitral ; stamens 5—8 ; stigmas mostly 2 j; 

 nut ovate. Persicaria. 



5. P. punclahim Ell: flowers octandrous, glandular- 

 punctate; st>les 3-parted; stipules slightly hairy, ciliate' ; 

 spike filiform', at first ccrnnous •, leaves lanceolate, with pel- 

 lucid punctures ; scabrous on the margin and midrib. E I- 

 Holt Sk. I. p. 455. P. Hydropiper M i c h. FL I. p. 238. 

 Big. Bost. p. 93. P. Fly dropiper aides Pursh Fl. I, p. 

 270. Persicaria foliis salicis, acris. Cold. J^oveb. 39^ 



Root perennial, creeping. Stem a foot atid a half or 2 feet high, 

 slender, more or less branched, sometimes decumbent at the 

 base. Zfax-e* lanceolate, ornarrow-lanceolate, acute, smooth, 

 or very slightly hairy, marked with minute diaphanous punc- 

 tures. Sti/iiUcs tubular, truncate, the summit fringed with 

 hairs, not more than half the length of the tube. Spikes 

 axillary and terminal, few-flowered, weak, and nodding when 

 young, but at length becoming erect. Flowers on pedicels 

 shorter than the perianth, 1—3 proceeding from each stipule 

 of the spike. Perianth covered with small glandular dots, 

 white ; segments obtuse. Stamens generally 8, sometimes 7, 

 Style deeply 3 -cleft ; stigmas capitate, ^/'ut sublenticular, 

 acuminate, black and shining. 



Hab. In ditches and low places, or where it is occasionally 

 overflowed ; rarely in dry situations. August — October. 



This species strongly resembles P. Hydropipcr of Europe, 

 and, like that plant, is very acrid. It differs in the number of 

 stamens and styles, but still may be only a variety. 



6. P. mile P ers.: flowers octandrous, somewhat crowd- 

 ed ; styles 3-parted; leaves narrow-lanceolate, somewhat 

 hairy stipules hairy, with long ciliae.. Pers. Syn. I. p. 

 446. Pursh Fl. I. p. 270. Elliott S/t. I. p. 4.^6. P. 

 Hydropiperoides Mich. Fl. I. p. 239. P. barbatum Walt. 

 Car. p. 131. Muhl. Ca^ p. 41? 



Root perennial, creeping. Stem assurgent, a foot and a half high* 

 a little branched towards the summit. Leaves suVscssilc^ 



