46 MEMOIRS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE. 
[Puate 10.] 
10. Polygonum Portoricense Bertero. 
Polygonum acuminatum Meisner, Monog. 78 (1826), not Humboldt, Bompland and 
Kunth. 
Polygonum glabrum Chamisso & Schlechtendal, Linnaea, 8: 46 (1828), not Willde- 
now; Meisner, Monog. 78, and in DC. Prodr. 14: 114; Grisebach, Fl. Br. W. Ind. 161. 
Polygonum densiflorum Meisner in Mart. Fl. Bras. 5: 13 (1855), not Blume; Meis- 
ner in DC. Prodr. 14: 121; Chapman, FI. 8. States, 388. 
Polygonum Portoricense Bertero; Meisn. in DC. Prodr. 14: 121 (1856), as synonym. 
Polygonum densiflorum var. imberbe Meisner in DC. Prodr. 14: 121 (1856). 
Polygonum Pennsylvanicum var. densiflorum Wood, Am. Bot. and Fl. 283 (1873). 
Perennial, glabrous but more or less scurfy throughout. Stem erect, 8-15 di. long, 
branched, enlarged at the nodes, often of a dark brown color; leaves lanceolate or nar- 
rowly-lanceolate, 3-25 cm. long, 1-4 em. broad, acuminate at both ends, very obscurely 
punctate, short-petioled; midrib broad and lateral nerves prominent or conspicuous 
beneath; petiole 1-2 em. long; ocreae cylindric, 2-4 em. long, fringed with short bristles 
when young, at length eciliate, sometimes hispid; inflorescence paniculate, more or 
less compound, the ultimate divisions ending in spicate often geminate racemes; 
racemes linear, 2-11 cm. long, erect, dense; ocreolae funnelform, about 3 mm. long, 
oblique, narrow, obtuse or acute, with a membranous rim; pedicels 35-3.5 mm. long; 
‘alyx white or whitish, about 3 mm. long, five-parted to near the base; stamens six, 
sometimes eight, included; style 1.5 mm. long, two-parted or three-parted to below the 
middle, somewhat exserted; achene lenticular or triquetrous, 2.5 mm. long, very broadly 
oblong or nearly obicular, sometimes slightly obovoid and broader than high, strongly 
biconvex, black, smooth and shining or sometimes minutely granular. 
Southern Missouri to Texas and Florida, also in the West Indies and South America, 
except the extreme south. 
