392 polygonacejE. (buckwheat family.) 
above, with pale green and willow-like thickish leaves, and conspic¬ 
uous sheaths. Grains from J to ^ the width of the valve. 
2. It, BriUilliiica, L. (Larger-fruited Swamp Dock.) 
Racemes spike-like and panicled, nearly leafless; whorls crowded; 
pedicels capillary, nodding, not longer than the fruiting calyx; the 
valves round-heart-shaped , obtuse , thin, 1—3 of them unequally grain¬ 
bearing. (R. altissimus, Wood.) — Banks of streams, &c., New Eng¬ 
land? New York (Peekskill, Dr. Mead), to Indiana and southward. 
June, July. — Leaves 3 f -5 f long, mostly oblong-lanceolate, much 
like the last; the valves fully twice as large, two of the grains small 
or abortive, or sometimes all three wanting. 
N 3. R. salicifolius, Weinmann, Hook. (Willow-leaved 
Dock.) Racemes spiked, somewhat leafy below; the whorls much 
crowded; pedicels shorter than the fruiting calyx; the valves ovate, ob- 
tusish, rugose-reticulated, (1-2 or) all of them nearly covered with a 
large and thick grain. (R. pallidus, Bigelow.) — Low grounds near 
salt water, from Nahant and Danvers, Massachusetts (Dr. Nichols, 
Oakes), northward. June. — Stems 1°-2° high, ascending. Leaves 
thinner than in the two preceding, their margins a little wavy. Fruit¬ 
ing calyx smaller than in No. 1, so short-pedicelled and crowded as 
to appear sessile. 
4. R. IIy<lroMpathlim, Hudson. (Great Water-Dock.) 
Racemes upright in a large compound panicle, nearly leafless; whorls 
crowded ; pedicels capillary, nodding, longer than the fruiting calyx; 
the valves broadly ovate , obtuse (large), all grain-bearing; leaves oblong- 
lanceolate, pointed , with minutely crenulate-wavy margins. (R* Britan- 
nica, Purshf Bigel., &c. R. aquaticus, Smith, Pursh.) — Wet pla¬ 
ces, New England to Michigan. July. — Stem 5° high, stout. Low¬ 
er leaves 1° or more long and 3' - 5' wide, the stout midrib produced 
into a flat petiole. Valves thin, long, rather denticulate, more 
rounded in our specimens than in European. 
* * Leaves wavy, the lower more or less heart-shaped at the bast: 
whorls in panicled racemes or spikes, 
f o. R. obtusifolius, L. (Broad-leaved or Bitter Dock.) 
Stem roughish ; lowest leaves ovate heart-shaped, obtuse, rather downy 
on the veins underneath, somewhat wavy-margined, the upper oblong- 
lanceolate , acute; ichorls loose and distant; valves ovate-halbert-shaped , 
sharply denticulate at the base, strongly reticulated, one of them prin- 
cipally grain-bearing. —Fields, &c.; introduced: a rather common 
weed. July-Root-leaves about 1° long, 5 r -& wide. 
6. R* crlspus, L. (Curled Dock.) Smooth; leaves with 
strongly wavy-curled margins, lanceolate, acute, the lower truncate or 
rather heart-shaped at the base; whorls crowded in prolonged wand¬ 
like racemes, leafless above ; valves round-heart-shaped, obscurely den 
ticulate or entire, one or all of them grain-bearing. — A very common 
