FOLYGONACE^. 43 



in fruit rhombic-triangular, wedgesha^^ed at the base, acute, with two 

 setaceous teeth on each side about the middle, reticulated, each of them 

 with a long oblong-cylindrical tubercle ; teeth bristle-like, as long as 

 or longer than the length of the j^etal. Sepals much shorter than 

 the tubercle. Nut attenuated at each end, broadest in the middle. 



In wet places. Rare, but widely distributed in England, except in 

 the extreme north. Not certainly known to occur in Scotland, 

 though it has been reported from several stations. In Ireland, it is 

 found only in Curragha bog near Garristown, co. Dublin. 



England, Ireland. Biennial. Late Summer, Autumn. 



Stem rooting at the lower nodes, erect, 6 inches to 2 feet high, 

 simple when small, branched with incurved branches when large. 

 Radical leaves in a rosette, abruptly attenuated into short petioles, 

 the lamina commonly unequal at the base, 2 to 9 inches long, rather 

 broader towards the apex, slightly undulated; lower stem leaves 

 similar to the radical ones, but attenuated towards the apex as well as 

 to the base, so as to be widest in the middle ; leaves at the base of the 

 whorls nearly sessile, elliptical-strapshaped, spreading, all much longer 

 than the whorls. Fruit whorls many-flowered, globular, approximate, 

 often confluent, but by no means always so, especially when the main 

 stem is injured, for then it sends out secondary shoots, which have the 

 whorls quite distinct. Fruit petals bright yellow, -^^ to -|- inch long, 

 the spines Jr to ^ inch long ; tubercle more than half as long as the 

 petal, pale yellow. Nut y\j inch long, shining, trigonous, with the 

 faces elliptical, equally attenuated at each end, fawn colour. Plant 

 yellowish-green, glabrous. 



Golden Dock. 



French, Patietice maritime. German, Goldgelher Ampfer. 



SPECIES W.—R UMEX PALUSTRIS. Svu 



Plate MCCXIH. 



BiUot, PI. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1760. 



R. palustris and R. Stenii (Bed:), Koch, Syn. PI. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. p. 704. 



R. limosus, Thuil. PI. Par. p. 182. 



R. maritimus, Roffm. Dentschl. PI. ed. ii. p. 172. Curt. PI. Lond. Vol. I. tab. 68. 



Leaves thin, the radical ones strapshajDcd-oblong or strapshaped- 

 oblanceolate, abruptly wedgeshaped or subcordate at the base, subacute ; 

 lower stem leaves similar but more attenuated towards the apex ; leaves 

 at the base of the whorls strapshaped or elliptical-strapshaped. Branches 

 of the panicle spreading-ascending, leafy to the apex. Pedicels nearly 

 twice as long as the fruit petals, articulated close to the base, spreading 

 all round the stems. Flowers ^^erfect. Enlarged petals in fruit triangular, 



G 2 



