476 ex. POLYGONACEiE. Rumex. 



16. P. ARiFOLiUM. Hastate Knot2:rass. 



St. aculeate with reversed prickles; Ivs. hastate; spikes few-flowered; jls. 

 distinct ; sta. 6 ; sty. 2. — (i) Wet grounds, Can. to Ga. and W. States. Distin- 

 guished irom the last chiefly by its larger, halbert-shaped leaves, which are 

 2 — V long and ^ as wide. Petioles I — 1' long. Clusters racemose, slender, 

 loose, few-flowered, at the ends of the branches. June, July. 



17. P. CONVOLVULUS. Knot Bindweed. 



S!. twining, angular; lis. cordate-hastate; ses. of the cal. obtusely keeled; 

 sta. 8 ; sty. 3. — A common climbing species, in fields and waste grounds, Can. 

 to Ky. and Car. Stem 2 — 6f long, roughish, angled, with axillary branches. 

 Leaves 1 — 2' long, ^ as wide, on petioles \ — f ' long, Mith somewhat spreading 

 and acute lobes at base. Flowers whitish, in terminal, interrupted spikes. 

 June — Sept. 



/?. cilinode. (P. cilinode. Mx.) Plant minutely pubescent ; slip, fringed with 

 reflexed hairs at base. 



18. P. scAXDENS. Climbing Knotgrass. 



St. tAvining, smooth; Ivs. cordate, acuminate; seg. of the cal. winged; sta. 

 8; sty. 3. — Tj. N. Eng. to Ark. Stem 3 — 7f long, climbing, often colored and 

 with axillary branches. Leaves heart-shaped, with distinct, rounded lobes. 

 Flowers in long, interrupted racemes. Calyx and fruit conspicuously 3-winged, 

 the wings decurrent on the slender, jointed pedicels. Aug. 



19. P. FAGOPYRUM. Buckv^hcat. — St. erect, smooth; Ivs. cordate-sagittate; 

 roc. panicled; sta. 8; sty. 3; angles of the ach. equal. — ® The name from the 

 Lat. fagus^ beech, and fyrum, a pear; the fruit resembles in shape a beech-nut. 

 Native of Asia, but here naturalized. A valuable grain cultivated for the flour 

 which is made into pan-cakes and eaten warm. Stems 2 — 4f high. Leaves 

 2 — M long, \ as wide. Flowers numerous, white, very grateful to bees. ± ^ 



4. RUM EX. 



Calyx persistent, of 6 colored sepals, the 3 inner (valves) larger ; 

 sta. 6 ; sty. 3, spreading ; stigmas many-cleft ; aclienium 3-cornered, 

 covered by the 3 valve-like inner sepals. — Herbs icith the Jloicers in 

 dense., fasciculate 'panicles. 



^ 1. Lapathum. Flowers all $ . Inner sepals (valves) granuliferoiLS. 

 * Inner sepals entire. 



1. R. CRispus. Yelloif Dock. 



Lvs. lanceolate, waved, acute; valves (inner seipnh) of the cal. entire, ovate, 

 each bearing a tubercle. — % Can. and U. S. A weed so common as hardly to 

 need description, growing in cultivated grounds, about rubbish, &c., much to 

 the annoyance of the farmer. Stem 2 — 3f high, smooth, channeled, from a yel- 

 low, fusiform root. Flowers numerous, in a large panicle, consisting of many 

 racemes of half-whorls, interspersed with leaves. Calyx-valves 3, enclosing 

 the seed, each with a grain on the back. The root is u.sed in medicine for cuta- 

 neous diseases. June. ^ 



2. R. SANGUINEUS. Bloody-vcincd Dock. 



Lvs. petiolate, cordate, lanceolate; valves of the cal. entire, one of them 

 principally bearing the granule. — 7]. Can. and N. States. Stem of a reddish 

 color, branching, leafy, 2^3f high. Leaves smooth, radical ones large, mostly 

 with red veins, somewhat cordate, slightly curled at the edges. Flowers in 

 small, distant whorls. Grows in waste and shady places. July. ^ 



3. R. BRiTTANicus. British Wafer Dock. 



Lvs. broad-lanceolate; joints with nearly obsolete, torn sheaths; Jls. poly- 

 gamous; valves entire, all bearing granules.-^ 7]. Can., U. S. Aquatic, growing 

 in muddy places. Root yellow internally, large. Stem 3f high, funowed, 

 angular and branched. Leaves large, petiolate, acute. Flowers in verticiilate 

 fascicles, collected into a large, terminal panicle. Pedicels nodding in fruit. 

 Calyx valve.-? large, cordate. July. 



