46 



POLYGONUM amplexicaule. 

 Stem-clasping Polygonum. 



OCTANDRIA TRYGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Polygonace^. 

 POLYGONUM. Linn. 



P, amplexicaule (Bistorta) ; caule erecto, foliis radicalibus longe petiolati^ cor- 

 datis ovatis acuminatis crenulatis integrisque costa subtvls tomentosa ; supre- 

 mis amplexicaulibus, spicis elongatis acuminatis multifloris, bracteis ovatis 

 acuminatis imbricatis margine scariosis, calyce petaloideo laciniis ovalibus 

 obtusis, staminibus 8 exsertis. 



P. amplexicaule. Donprodr. fi. nep. 70. Meisner monogr. Polyg. 51. in 

 Wall. pi. as. rar. iii. 54. Babington in Linn, trans, xviii. 96. Bot. 

 Reg. 1838. misc. no. 117. 



P. speciosum. Meisn. l. c. 53. Wall. cat. no. 1716. ! 



P. ambiguum. Id. 



P. oxyphyllum. Id. Wall. cat. no. 1715. ! 



P. petiolatum. Don. I. c. 



This seems to be a common Nepalese plant, varying 

 in appearance like all species very extensively dispersed, and 

 consequently divided into several spurious species upon the 

 supposed evidence of dried specimens. Mr. Babington has 

 rightly reduced to their true value the P. oxyphyllum and 

 ambiguum of Meisner, and I add without hesitation the 

 P. speciosum of the same author, which does not merit dis- 

 tinction even as a variety. 



The seeds from which this was raised were received by 

 the Horticultural Society from Dr. Falconer, the superinten- 

 dent of the Botanical Garden of Saharunpur, as has already 

 been briefly stated in this work, (volume for 1838, no. 117 

 of the miscellaneous matter). No varieties were seen 

 among the seedlings, and it is probable that the differences 

 which have been remarked among the dried specimens were 

 produced by local causes. 



