56 MEMOIRS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE, 
[Puare 15. ] 
15. Polygonum incarnatum Elliott. 
Polygonum inearnatum Elliott, Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 456 (1817); Sprengel, Syst. 2: 
258; Meisner, in DC. Prodr. 14: 120; Darby, Bot. S. States, 489; Chapman, FI. 5. 
States, 388; Wood, Am. Bot. and Fl. 283; Coulter, Man. Bot. Rocky Mt. Reg. 319. 
Polygonum lapathifolium Beck, Bot. 302 (1833); Wood, Cl. Bk. Ed. 41, 474 (1855). 
Polygonum nodosum var. incarnatum A. Gray, Man. Ed. 2, 872 (1856). 
Polygonum lapathifolium var. incarnatum S$. Watson in A. Gray, Man. Ed. 6, 440 
(1890). 
Annual, nearly glabrous throughout, light green. Stem erect, 6-10 dm. long, 
almost simple or branched, especially above, more or less thickened at the nodes; leaves 
lanceolate or narrowly-lanceolate, 5-20 cm. long, .4—4 em. broad, acuminate at both 
ends, sparingly punctate and ciliate, short-petioled the midrib bearing a few short, thick 
hairs; ocreae cylindric or funnelform at branching nodes, 1-2 cm. long, loose, brittle, 
eciliate or occasionally ciliolate when young; inflorescence paniculate, more or less com- 
pound, the ultimate divisions ending in spicate racemes; racemes linear, 3-8 em. long, 
drooping, dense; ocreolae funnelform, 2 mm, long, oblique, cuspidate; pedicels 2 mm. 
long; calyx whitish, green or rose-colored, 2-3 mm. long, five-parted to near the base; 
stamens six, included; style less than 1 mm. long, two-parted to near the base; achene 
lenticular, 2 mm. long, ovoid or broadly oblong-ovoid, flat and biconcave, dark brown 
or black, smooth and shining. 
Southern New England to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. 
