38 POLYGONACEZ. [ Poryeonum. ~ 
sparsely strigose with hairs that are sunk in the tissue, very shortly 
ciliate or eciliate. Racemes decurved, filiform, flexuous, leafy at the 
base; bracts more or less interrupted, glabrous, glandular or not ; 
mouth naked or minutely ciliate. Perianth pink, very glandular. 
Nutlets usually trigonous, opaque, granulate. 
In wet places, chiefly in the northern portion, of the area, from Dehra 
Dun and Rohilkhand eastwards. DisTrrs. : From Assam and Bengal 
to the N. W. Frontier, ascending to 7, 000 ft. on the Himalaya, 
also on the Khasia Hills ; extending to Europe, N. Africa, Java, N. 
America and Australia. The fresh plant contains an acrid juice, 
which is used as a powerful diuretic. 
11. P. flaccidum, Meissn. in DC. Prod. xiv, 107 in part, excl, 
syn. (not of Roxburgh) ; F. B. I. v, 39 ; Prain Beng. Pl. 887 ; Gage 
l. c. 402. P.tenellum. Roxb. Fl. Ind. wi, 289. 
A glabrous or pubescent annual or perennial. oot shortly creeping. 
Stems 2-3 ft. high, slender, shortly creeping below, simple or branched. 
Leaves usually stalked, 2-6 in. long, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 
acuminate, quite glabrous except sometimes on the midrib and nerves 
beneath, or strigosely hairy beneath or on beth surfaces, more or less 
glandular, brown when dry; stipules strigose or hirsute, marginal 
cilia half as long as the tube or longer. Racemes subpaniculate, some- 
times 6 in. long and very slender ; bracts usually very distant, glab- 
rous or more or less ciliate, glandular or not. Perianth bright-pink 
or white (Roxburgh) closely glandular. Stamens 8. Nuilets small, 
trigonous, dull-black, minutely rugose. 
In wet ground, Upper Gangetic Plain (T. Thomson), Dehra Dun (King). 
Flowers during the rainy season. DistrrB.: Throughout India in 
wet places, ascending to 6,000 ft. on the Kumaon Himalaya ; also in 
Ceylon, Malay Pen. and Islands and China. 
/ 12, P. Posumbu, Buch.-Ham. in Don. Prod. 71 (not of Wallich) + 
F. B. I. v, 38 ; Gage i. c. 425. 
A very slender flaccid perennial herb. Stems extensively creeping then 
ascending or decumbent. Leaves petioled, membranous, 1-3 in. long, 
elliptic-lanceolate, caudate-acuminate, glabrous or sparsely hairy ; 
stipules slightly strigose ; cilia stiff, lonyer than the tube. Racemes 
erect, filiform, 1-3 in. cr longer ; bracts minute, imbricate or distant, 
very shortly ciliate. Perianth very small, eglandular. Nutlets 
smooth and polished. 
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