1. Polygonum.] 



111. POLYGONACEM. 



pedicelled, clustered, the clusters axillary or terminal or in spiciform 

 racemes. Bracts and bracteoles ochreate. Disc glandular or 0. 

 Perianth 4-5-, rarely 3-cleft, tepals acyclic, 2 outer usually smallest. 

 Stamens usually 5-8, perigynous. Ovary compressed or 3-gonous ; 

 styles 2-3 or combined below, stigmas usually capitellate. Nut 

 included in the more or less accrescent perianth, 3-gonous or biconvex. 

 Embryo lateral, radicle long, cotyledons flat, accumbent, rarely 

 incumbent. 



I. Bracts tubular (sometimes only at base in 13-15) : — 



A. Flowers all in axillary clusters 1. plehejum. 



B. Flowers all in spiciform racemes (subcapitate in 14 and 



15):- 



1. Cotyledons incumbent. Stipules mostly with dilated 



mouth or a distinct limb. Stout herbs : — 

 L. softly pubescent or hairj-, ovate . . . .2. erientale. 

 L. scaberulous, lanceolate 3. limbnfum. 



2. Cotyledons accumbent. Stipules without dilated 



mouth or limb (exc. in l-li. Leaves narrow: — 

 a. Hairs, if present, neither retrorse nor prickly. 

 Racemes many-fld. : — 

 i. Styles mostly 2. Nut biconvex (rarely few 3- 

 gonous; : — 

 + Stipules eciliate (at mouth) : — 



Whole plant glabrous 4. glahrum. 



Whole plant white tomentose or cottony . 5. lanigeriim. 

 \\ Stipules more or less ciliate :— 



L. elliptic-ovate to lanceolate, ciliolate . . 6. lapafkifolitim, 

 L. narrow-lanceolate to linear, glabrous . 7. minuit. 

 li. Stj'les mostly 3. Nut 3-gonous (rarelj' few 2- 

 convex). Stipules ciliate (exc. sometimes in 

 12):- 

 + Racemes dense: — 



! Branches above, bracts and peduncles 

 glabrous: — 

 L. glabrous, or nerves strigillose, usually 

 tapering to a rounded base, stipular 

 setfe not longer than tube . . . 8. gerriilatum^ 



L. shortlj- appressed-hairy and ciliate, base 

 acute or acuminate. Stipules with long 

 setje (■3-'5") usually exceeding the tube 9. harhatum. 

 !! Branches above and peduncles strigose, 

 bracts more or less hairj- : — 



L. as in barbatum 10. stagninum. 



\\ Racemes with lower bracts distant, pedun- 

 cles glaVjrous : — 

 L. strigose beneath. Stipules strigose and 



ciliate l\. Jlaceidum. 



L. glabrous beneath. Stipules glabrous, 



sometimes eciliate 12. hydropiper, 



b. Hairs, if present, rigid, retrorse or prickly. Bracts 

 often somewhat expanded above : — 

 i. Flowers in very lax few-fld. racemes . . . YS. jircBtermismm, 

 ii. Flowers in shoVt oVilong or capitate racemes : — 

 Stipules oblique at mouth, shortly ciliate. Nut 



2-convex 14. pedttnctilare. 



Stipules truncate with long cilia. Nut 3-gonous 15. strigosum. 



II. Bracts flat. Flowers capitate. Leaves broad, often lobed 



or auricled at base: — 

 L. '5-2", contracted below into the broadly winged petiole. 



Stipules obliquely truncate 16. alatum. 



L. •5-l'5". Petiole •12-'17", auricled. Stipules short cupular 17. capitafnm, 

 L. 1-6". Petiole -3-1", usually am-icled. Stipules long, 



obliquely truncate 18. clnnen»e. 



114: 



