116 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 
Two species only are alpine, viz.:—P. alpinum, L.; 
flowers in a paniculate raceme, sepals yellowish-white or 
pink, leaves lanceolate, wavy; pastures; Southern Swit- 
zerland, Tirol, Piedmont, Dauphiny, Pyrenees; frequent. 
P. viviparum, L.; flowers in a terminal simple spike, 
sepals white, rarely pink, stem 3-8 in., inflorescence with 
bulb-like buds in the axils of the lowermost bracts ; 
pastures, common. All the other Swiss species are 
familiar English plants, viz. :— 
P. Bistorta, L., Bistort, Snake-root; stem I-3 ft., 
flowers in a dense cylindrical terminal spike, sepals pink 
or purple; damp meadows. In wet places:—P. am- 
phibium, L., with short pink spikes, and lanceolate floating 
leaves on long stalks; P. Hydropiper, L., with elongated 
green spikes, and lanceolate leaves with a very biting 
taste; £. mite, Schrank, a smaller plant, with much 
smaller spikes; and P. mznus, Huds., similar, with 
narrower leaves and very small flowers. In waste 
places :—P. lapathifolium, L., with very large lanceolate 
leaves, usually spotted with black, and greenish-white 
flowers; and Perszcarza, L., with smaller leaves and pink 
or white flowers. Prostrate road-side plant:—P. avicu- 
lave, L., Knotgrass, with pink flowers, very common. 
Plants with twining stem :—/. Convolvulus, L., with cor- 
date-sagittate leaves and green flowers; and P. dume- 
torum, L., similar, the three outer sepals with broad 
membranous wings. 
2. ROUMEX, 1, 
Flowers unisexual or bisexual, in racemose or panicled 
whorls; sepals 6, in two rows, the inner ones enlarged in 
fruit; stamens 6. 
