OCTANDRIA— TRIGYNIA. Polygonum. 239 



The real P. maritimum of Linnaeus, to which all the synonyms of 

 our large variety b, quoted by Ray, truly belong, is a perennial 

 shrubby species, distinguished by the very numerous and 

 crowded ribs of its stipulas. This is destined to appear in Fl. 

 GrcEc. ^363. Meanwhile it is well represented \n Bauh. Hist. 

 V. 3. p. 2. 377. /. 1, copied in Pet. H. Brit. t. 10. /. 5, which 

 evinces the mischief of compiling from exotic writers, whose 

 plants are often different from our own. P. viaritimum is also 

 figured in Barrel. Ic. t. 560./. 1 j and in Lobel's Adversaria 179. 



*=9. P. Fagopyrum. Buck-wheat, or Brank. 



Leaves heart-arrow-shaped. Stem nearly upright, without 

 prickles. Angles of the seeds even. 



P. Fagopyrum. Linn. Sp. PL 522. Willd. v. 2. 455. Fl. Br. 430. 



Engl. Bot. v.\5. t. 1044. Mart. Rust. t. 4G. Hook. Scot. 122. 

 P. n. 1563. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 260. 

 Fegopyrum. Dod. Pempt. 51 1./. 512. Raii Syn. 144. 

 Fagotr'iticum. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 993,/. 

 Tragopyron. Ger. Em. 89,/ 

 Frumentum saracenicum. Matth. Valgr. v. 1 , 357, / Corner. 



Epit. 187./ 

 Erysimum. Bauh. Pin. 27. 

 E. cereale. Bauh. Theatr. 530,/ 

 Ocymum veterum. Trag. Hist. 648./ 



In cultivated fields, often a troublesome weed, though imported 

 from the East, and very impatient of frost. 



Annual. July, August. 



Root tapering. Herb rather succulent. Stem a little zigzag, 

 branched, leafy, smooth, except a downy line along one side. 

 Leaves between heart- and arrow-shaped, acute, entire, deep 

 green, smooth, stalked ; upper ones sessile. Stipulas short and 

 beardless. Footstalks roughish at the base. Clusters many- 

 flowered, panicled, spreading, Cal. variegated with red, green, 

 and white^ bearing yellow glands between the stamens, of which 

 latter 5 are longer than the rest ; and the 2 round lobes of their 

 anthers are separated by a short intermediate bar. Styles 3, 

 quite distinct. Seed brown, polished, with 3 sharp, even, not 

 lobed nor wavy, angles. 



The seeds are excellent food for domestic poultry, and for phea- 

 sants. Their copious albumen affords a palatable and vi^hole- 

 some meal, which makes very good cakes, called crumpits. 



] 0. P. Convolvulus . Climbing Buck-wheat. Black 

 Bindweed. 



Leaves heart-arrow-shaped. Stem twining, angular. Seg- 

 ments of the calyx bluntly keeled. 



