CIV. I'OLYGONACE E. oUi 



terete, striate. Leaves |^-| in. long, oblong, or linear, or obovate, sessile 

 or shortly petiolate; stipules hyaline, short, lacerate to the middle, 

 fimbriate. Flowers pink, axillary, solitary or 2-3 together ; pedicels 

 short or 0. Perianth ^^ in. long or less, divided nearly to the base ; 

 segments broad or narrow or the 2 outer (or all?) acute. Nuts 3-gonous, 

 smooth, shining, irs-j^ in- long. Fl. B. 1. v. 5, p. 27 ; Woodr. in Journ. 

 Bomb. Nat. V. 12 (1899) p. 365 ; Prain, Beng. Pi. p. 884.— Flowers : 

 Dec-Mar. 



A polymorphous plant of which there are several forms, many of 

 which seem to be the result of soil and climate. Sir J. D. Hooker 

 (Fl. B. I. 1. c.) gives 11 forms or varieties, though he says that there is 

 not one of these that does not seem to pass insensibly into 2 or more 

 others. The shape of the sepals, which is relied on to furnish dis- 

 tinguishing characters for some of the varieties, is. Sir J. D. Hooker (I. c.) 

 remarks, " so variable in age in other species that much importance must 

 not be attached to it." A wet season or moist locality has a tendency 

 to produce luxuriant plants with long iuternodes and large leaves, while 

 a dry season or locality has the opposite tendency. The only apparent 

 way of settling the question as to how far soil and climate affect the 

 growth of the plant, would be to grow the plant under varying conditions. 

 An experiment of this kind might be undertaken by one of the Botanic 

 Gardens in India. 



Of the varieties given by Sir J. D. Hooker in the ' Flora of B. India,' 

 the following are those most commonly met with in the Bombay 

 Presidency : — 



Vab. 1. P. plebejum proper. Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 5, p. 28. Leaves 

 |— 5 in. long ; flowers usually hidden among the stipules ; sepals all 

 obtuse, short and broad. Prain, Beng. PI. p. 884. 



Siddapur (N. Kanara), Talbot, 1080, ex Gage, Census Indian Polygonums. 



Vae. 2. effusa, Hook, f. Fl. B. I. v. 5, p. 28. Leaves narrowly linear ; 

 flowers all or mostly pedicellate ; sepals all obtuse, short and broad. A 

 M'eed of wet places. Prain, Beng. PI, p. 884. Poli/(jonum effusum, 

 Meissn. in DC. Prodr. v. 14, p. 93. 



SiND : Dalzelll, Stocks, 30 ! ; Karachi, Cooke !, Kanitkar ! ; Hyderabad, Cooke\ 



Var, 3. sindica. Hook, f. Fl. B. I, v. 5, p, 29, Branches pale red- 

 brown ; leaves yu~8 ^^- ^^^^o' elliptic-oblong ; flowers very minute, sunk 

 among the stipules ; sepals narrow, obtuse. 



SiND : Stocks I 



There is but 1 sheet in Herb. Kew. marked as above. 



Vab. 4. indica, Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 5, p. 28. Branches uniformly 

 spreading all round the crown ; leaves |-| in. long, linear or obovate- 

 oblong, flat, often apiculate ; sepals broad, the 2 outer acute. Watt, 

 Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 6, part 1, p. 319. Polygonum indicum, Heyne, in 

 Eoth, Nov. PI. Sp, p. 208 ; Wight, Icon. t. 1808. P. elegans, Dalz. & 

 Gibs. p. 214 (not of Eoxb,). 



The commonest form. Konkan : Law] Deccan : Mahableshwar, Cookel; Karli, 

 Cooke \ S. M. Country: Belgaum, TtUchie, 1311!; Badaini, Cookel, Woodrawl, 

 Bhiva ! Kanaka : N. Kanara, Talbot, 57, ex Gage, Census Indian Polygonums. 



VOL. II. 2 M 



