184 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Polygonatum—continued. 
summer, and potted-up ready for forcing after the stems 
die down. The large, fleshy rootstocks may be- placed 
rather thickly in 6in. pots, and, after flowering is over, 
transferred again to the open ground. Large quantities 
of Solomon’s Seal are annually imported purposely for 
forcing; but it may be prepared at home, by providing a 
good soil, and planting each year according to the quantity 
required. Propagated easily by divisions. 
P. biflorum (two-flowered).* jl, perianth greenish, }in long; 
peduncles one to three, but mostly two, flowered. May. l. ovate- 
or lanceolate-oblong, nearly sessile, usually minutely pubescent, 
at least on the veins, pale or glaucous beneath, Stem slender, 
lft. to 3ft. high. North America. 
P. japonicum (Japanese). jl. one to three in the axils, drooping ; 
=e jin, s jin. long, Sith a white tube and green, deltoid 
tieth. April. Z. ten to twelve, alternate, ascending, oblong, 2in. 
to Jin. long, acute, above obscurely glaucous, below distinctly so. 
Stem lft. to lift. high. Japan. See Fig. 224 
—— 
Lath 
Fig. 225. POLYGONATUM MULTIFLORUM, showing Habit and 
detached Raceme. 
P. multifiorum 
David's + Lady’s Seal. /. white; perianth about eight lines 
ong, nstteda tn the —— 
short petioles, oblong, stem-clasping. S 
others hemisphere (Britain). 
Sarai tale very PAAY sunt an flore-pleno, has double fi 
this very pr nt ; one, flore- s ouble flowers, 
and another, Arlina. waeanl Jeaves. 
C e (officinal). fl. white, having the perianth constricted 
at the Jr. dark violet. 1. ten to twelve, alternate, oblong, 
semi-amplexicaul. Stems about lft. h angular. Northern 
—— (Britain). SYNS. P. vulgare, Convallaria Polygonatum 
- P.o. macranthum (large-flowered). A very large-flowered form. 
A Mt. to l}ft. Japan. (B.M. 6133.) 
P. um (opposite-leaved). many, dis in 
corymbs ; perianth tube white, —— ribbed with 
be —— greenish ; peduncles four- to ten-flowered. April. 
. scarlet. l. ten to twenty or more, oblong, acuminate, very 
shortly petiolate, all opposite. Stems 2ft. to 4ft. high. Hima- 
layas, 1822. Greenhouse. pb M. 3629, H. E. F. 125, and L. B. C. 
6:0, under name of Convallaria oppositifolia.) e form albo- 
vittatum has red stems, and leaves striped with white. 
P. punctatum (dotted). jl., perianth tube white, lilac-dotted ; 
segments greenish. May. l twelve to twenty, ascendent, all 
opposite, rarely alternate, oblong-lanceolate, 2in. to 3in. long, 
cuneate at base, shortly petiolate, rigid. Stems lft. to 2ft. high, 
angular, sulcate. India, 1857. (B. M. 5061.) < 
= P. roseum (rosy). A. rose-colour, twin in the axils, on very 
_. short sels; perianth nearly jin. long, with a cylindrical tube 
and short teeth, May. l. ascendent, linear or lanceolate, acu- 
minate, sub-petiolate, Sin. to 5in. long; upper ones opposite or 
_ ternate; those at the tips of the stems whorled. Stems 2ft. to 
3ft. high, sulcate. Central Siberia.- (B. M. 5049.) 
verticillatum (whorled). 7. greenish, rather smaller than 
those of P, mmitii#ornm; perianth constricted in the middle; 
pedunele one to three-flowered. June. fr. red. lo whorled, 
sessile, lanceolate. Stem 2ft. to 4ft. high, angular. Northern 
hemisphere (Britain). SYN. Convallaria verticillata (F. D. 86). 
P. vulgare (common). A synonym of P. oficinale. 
POLYGONEÆ. A very distinct natural order of 
herbs, shrubs, or sometimes trees, broadly dispersed ; 
the arborescent species are nearly all tropical American, 
Poly gonexz—coniiaued. 
the shrubs are mostly limited to the Eastern Mediter- 
ranean or W Asiatic region, and the herbaceous 
kinds affect temperate and mountainous regions. Flowers 
hermaphrodite, or, in a few genera, unisexual, regular, 
usually rather small, springing from the axils of leaves 
or bracts (sometimes ochreiform), solitary or fasciculate, 
in racemes or spikes; perianth inferior, calycine or 
coloured, with four to six lobes or segments; stamens 
six to nine, rarely fewer, or many and indefinite; fila- 
ments filiform or dilated at base, free or connate in a 
ring at the base; anthers two-celled, often versatile; 
ovary trigonal or compressed, sessile or shortly adnate 
to the perianth at the base; pedicels frequently articu- 
lated. Fruit a nut, trigonal, compressed, or rarely 
quadrigonal, rarely naked, usually covered by the peri- 
anth. Leaves alternate or. rarely opposite, variable in 
form, rarely lobed or divided; petioles Usually more or 
less dilated and stem-clasping. One of the most im- 
portant products of the order is Rhubarb (Rheum 
officinale). Buckwheat, Sorrels, and Docks may be men- 
tioned as other economic members of the order. Poly- 
gonee comprises thirty genera and about 600 species. 
Examples are: Coccoloba, Fagopyrum, Muehlenbeckia, 
Polygonum, and Rheum. 
FIG. 226. UPPER PORTION OF STEM OF POLYGONUM CUSPIDATUM 
* 
