90 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



deeply cordate. Entire plant densely and finely pubescent. Flowers on 

 a short, slender peduncle from between the bases of the petioles, often 

 concealed or partly buried in old leaves on the ground, i inch or more broad, 

 brownish purple; calyx ovoid, its tube completely adnate to the ovary, its 

 three lobes inflexed in bud, ovate-lanceolate, acute or long-acuminate, 

 spreading; stamens twelve in number, the stout, short filaments inserted 

 on the inferior six-celled ovary. 



In rich woods. New Brunswick to Manitoba, south to North Carolina, 

 Missouri and Kansas. Flowering in April and May. 



In southern New York occurs also the Short-lobed Wild Ginger 

 ( A s a r u m reflex u m Bicknell) with smaller flowers, the calyx tube white 

 within, and the triangular, acute lobes strongly reflexed. 



Buck-wheat Family 



Polygonaceae 

 Swamp Smartweed 



Persicaria muhlenbergii (S. Watson) Small 



Plate 47,1 



Perennial by long rootstocks, rooting in the mud or in the water, stem 

 erect, glabrous, or somewhat pubescent, enlarged at the nodes, i to 3 feet 

 high. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, the upper ones often 

 narrower, 2 to 8 inches long, acute or acuminate at the apex, rounded or 

 cordate at the base, petioled, ocreae cylindric, becoming loose, not ciliate. 

 Flowers in linear-oblong, dense, terminal racemes, i to 3 inches long; calyx 

 dark rose-colored, five-parted; stamens five in number. 



In swamps, marshes and moist soil, Ontario to British Columbia, 

 Virginia, Louisiana and Mexico. Flowering from July to September. 



Lady's-thumb ; Heartweed 



Persicaria persicaria (Linnaeus) Small 



Plate .17;. 



Annual, smooth or somewhat puberulent, stems one-half to 2 feet high, 

 erect or nearly so, simple or branched. Leaves lanceolate or linear-Ian ceo- 



