ii6 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 



Two species only are alpine, viz. : — P. alpimim, 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 1-3 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 ; P. mite, Schrank, a smaller plant, with much 

 smaller spikes; and P. minuSj Huds., similar, with 

 narrower leaves and very small flowers. In waste 

 places : — P. lap athi folium^ L., with very large lanceolate 

 leaves, usually spotted with black, and greenish-white 

 flowers ; and Persicaria^ L., with smaller leaves and pink 

 or white flowers. Prostrate road-side plant : — P. avicu- 

 larCy L., Knotgrass, with pink flowers, very common. 

 Plants with twining stem : — P. 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. RUMEX, L. 



Flowers unisexual or bisexual, in racemose or panicled 

 whorls ; sepals 6, in two rows, the inner ones enlarged in 

 fruit ; stamens 6. 



