238 OCTANDRIA— TRIGYNIA. Polygonum. 



lower ones are sessile, ovate bulbs, which falling off become 

 young- plants. This is exhibited in Tournefort's t.29l. f. G — K. 

 The plant therefore is not so truly viviparous as gemmiparous, 

 nor do the xt2i\Jlowers above often produce any seeds. 



8. P. avicidare. Common Knot-grass. 



Flowers axillary. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, rough-edged. 

 Ribs of the stipulas distant. Stem procumbent, herba- 

 ceous. 



P. aviculare. Unn. Sp. PZ. 519. mild. v. 2. 449. Fl. Br. 429. 

 Engl. Bot. V. 18. t. 1252. Curt. Lond.fasc. 1. t. 27. Mart. Rust. 

 t.9\. Hook. Scot. \22. Fl.Dan. ^.803. 



P. n. 1560. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 259. 



P. mas vulgare. Ger. Em. 565./. Rail Sijn. 146. Lob. Ic.4\9.f. 



P. mas. Matth. Valgr. v. 2. 300. /. Camer. Epit. 688. /. Dod. 

 Fempt. lis. f. Fuchs. Hist. 614. f. Trag. Hist. 391. f. 



P. latifolium. Bauh. Piii. 2S\. 



P. sive Centinodia. Bauh. Hist. v. 3. p. 2. 374./. 375. 



Common Knot-grass. Pet. H.Brit, t. 10./. 1. 



/3. Polygonum brevi angustoque folio. Bauh. Pin. 281. Raii Syn, 

 146, 



Short-leaved Knot-grass. Pet. H.Brit, t. 10./ 3. 



y. Polygonum oblongo angustoque folio. Bauh. Pin. 281. Raii 

 Syn. 146. 



Narrow Knot-grass. Pet. H. Brit. t. 10./ 4. 



8. Polygonum folio rotundo. Dill, in Raii Syn. 147. 



Thick-set Knot-grass. Pet. H. Brit t. 10./ 2. 



£. Polygonum marinum. Raii Syn. 147 ; excluding all the syno- 

 nyms. 



In waste as well as cultivated ground, streets, paths, and barren 

 sandy places, every where. 



s. On the Cornish coast, as mentioned by Ray. F. Borons. 



Annual. Jpril — October. 



Root fibrous, long, very tough, and somewhat woody ; branched 

 below ', simple at the crown. Stems several, spreading in every 

 direction, generally prostrate, much branched, round, striated, 

 leafy at the numerous knots or joints. Leaves alternate, stalk- 

 ed, hardlv an inch long, elliptic or lanceolate, entire, obtuse, 

 single-ribbed, smooth except at the margin ; tapering at the 

 base ; very variable in width ; their substance rather coriaceous j 

 their colour greyish, or glaucous. Stipulas membranous, acute, 

 often red, with a few remote brownish ribs. Fl. axillary, 2 or 3 

 together, on simple stalks, small, but often singularly beautiful 

 under a magnifier, being variegated with white, crimson, and 

 green. Stam. 8, rarely 10, short and broad. Germ, triangu- 

 lar. Stijles 3, short, with thick, blunt stigmas. Seed acutely 

 triangular, of a shining black, the food of many small birds. 



