OCTANDRIA— TRIGYNIA. Polygonum. 233 



In ponds and ditches, or about their banks. 



Perennial. July, August. 



Root creeping, with numerous whorls of white or red fibres. Stem 

 round, branching in the lower part, leafy. Leaves stalked, ge- 

 nerally floating, ovate-lanceolate, more or less acute, single- 

 ribbed, minutely serrated, smooth, bright green ; slightly heart- 

 shaped at the base. Stipiila embracing the stem within the 

 footstalk, abrupt, wavy, smooth. Flowers crimson, in elegant 

 ovate, dense, stalked, bracteated spikes, raised above the surface 

 of the water. Stam. 5, alternate with the 5 segments of the 

 calyx, variable in length. Styles 2, combined in their lower half. 

 Stigmas globular, red. Seed ovate, compressed, with 2 obtuse 

 edges. 



When the roots are thrown out of the water, with the mud of 

 ditches, the stems become shortened, and upright ; the leaves 

 narrower, and, as well as the stipulas, hairy. Thejloivers are in 

 that case sparingly produced. This is the /3 of Willdenow ; the 

 Persicaria acida of Jungermann. See Linn. Correspond, v. 2. 367. 



Water-fowl are said by Curtis to be fond of the seeds. 



2. P. Persicaria. Spotted Persicaria. 



Styles two, united half way up. Stamens six. Clusters 

 dense, ovate-oblong, erect, on smooth stalks. Stipulas 

 fringed. 



P. Persicaria. Linn. Sp. PI. .5 1 8. Willd. v. 2. 446. Fl. Br. 424 . 



Engl. Bot. V. 11 . ^. 756. Curt. Lond.fasc. ]. t.23. Hook. Scot. 



121. Fl. Dan. t.7 02. 

 P. n. 15.57. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 257. 



Persicaria. Fuchs. Hist. 631./. 630. Dod. Pempt. 608./. 

 P. altera. Matth. Valgr. v. 1. 534./. Cainer. Epit. 353./. 

 P. mitis, maculosa et non maculosa. Bauh. Pin. 101. 

 P. maculosa. Paii Syn. 145. Ger. Em. AAb.f. Pet. H. Brit. t. 3. 



P. mitis. Bauh. Hist. v.3. p.2. 77] .f. 



P. mitis maculosa. Lob. Ic. 315./. 



jS. P. folio subtus incano. Town. Inst. 510. Dill, in Rail Syn, lib. 

 Pet. H. Brit. t.3.f.8. 



Polygonum incanum. Pf^illd. Sp. PI. v. 2. 446. 



P. Persicaria y. Linn. Sp. PZ. 518. 



P. n. 1556. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 257. 



y. Persicaria folio Salicis albae vulgaris. Dill, in Rail Syn. 145. 



P. argentea. Pet. H Brit. t. 3./. 9. 



In ditches, wet fields, and watery placeSj common. 



Annual. July, August. 



Root fibrous. Stem erect, sometimes throwing out radicles from 

 the lowermost joints, 1 to 2 feet high, branched, leafy, round, 

 smooth, often reddish, slightly swelled in general above each 



