rOLYGONACEiE. (bUCKWUEAT FAMILY.) 389 



rough on the margins and veins ; spikes erect, oblong, obtuse, close-flowcrcd ; 

 flowers rose-color ; stamens mostly 8, exserted ; style 2-clcft ; aclienium orbic- 

 ular, with the sides concave. — Wet places, Georgia, and northward. July- 

 Sept (D — Stem 1° -3° high, sometimes nearly smooth. Leaves 2'-4' long. 

 Spikes I'-lV long. Flowers much larger than tliosc of the two preceding 

 species. 



* * iSheatliS fiiwjcd wilh bristly hairs : ackenium 3-anrjlcd, or (in i\o. 5) sometimes 

 lenticular: stamens 7noslli/ S. 



5. P. Persicaria, L. Stem smooth, branching from the base, erect or 

 diffuse ; leaves lanceolate or oblong, obtuse or acutish, the margins and veins 

 roughened ; 'sheaths short, nearly smooth, fringed with a fjw short bristles ; 

 spikes short, oblong, obtuse, dense-flowered ; flowers rose-color ; stamens 6 - 7 ; 

 style half 2-cleft ; acheniura lenticular or 3-angled, smooth and shining. — Low 

 places around dwellings and along roads, Florida, and novt!iward. Introduced. 

 July. Q — Stem l°-l|°high. Leaves 2' -4' long, often with a dark trian- 

 gular spot in the middle. Spikes ^'-1' long. 



6. P. acre, Kimth. Stem slender, smooth, creeping at the base ; leaves 

 lanceolate, rouyh on the margins and veins, and, like the white calyx, dotted 

 with pellucid glands ; sheaths smoothish, long-fringed at the throat ; spikes 

 1-3, filiform, loose-flowered ; stamens 8 ; style 3-partcd ; ac.henium 3-angled. 

 (P. punctatuin, IJ.l.) — Ditches and margins of ponds, Florida, and northward. 

 July -Sept. IJ. — Stem 1°- 3° long. Leaves 2' - 4' long, very acrid. Spikes 

 2' - 3' long. 



7. P. hydropiperoides, Michx. Stem slender, smooth, ascending from 

 a floating or creeping base ; leaves linear or lanceolate, roughened with short 

 rigid hairs on both sides, or only on the margins and veins ; sheaths hispid, 

 long-fringed ; spikes 2-3, linear, rather close-flowered ; calyx pale rose-color, 

 and, like the leaves, glandless ; stamens 8 ; style 3-clcft ; achenium 3-angled. 

 (P. mite, Ppj-s.) — Ditches and muddy banks, Florida, and northward. July- 

 Sept. IJ. — Stem 2° -3° long. Leaves 2' -4' long, not acrid. Spikes 1'- 2' 

 long. 



8. P. SCtaceum, Baldw. Stem erect, sparingly branched, smooth below, 

 the upper jiortion, like the peduncles and lanceolate glandless leaves, rough wiih 

 appresscd huirs ; Stipules appressed-hirsute, copiously fringed with long bristles ; 

 spikes filiform, by pairs, loose-flowered ; flowers white, glandless ; stamens 8 ; 

 style 3-cleft ; aciicniuni 3-angled. — Low ground, Georgia and Florida. July- 

 Sept. U — Stem 2° -3° high. Leaves 3'- 5' long. Spikes l'-2' long. 



9. P. hirsutum, Walt. Stem erect, densely hirsute with spreading ful- 

 vous hairs; leaves lanceolate, nearly sessile, rounded at the base, hirsute, j)artic- 

 ularly on the veins and margins ; sheaths hirsute, copiously fringed ; spikes 

 2-3, linear, erect, rather close-flowered ; peduncles smooth above ; bracts 

 naked ; flowers white, glandless ; stamens 8 ; achenium 3-anglcd. — Pine-barren 

 ponds, Florida to North Carolina. July- Sept. IJ. — Stem 2° -3° high. 

 Leaves 2' -3' long. Spikes I' long. 



