86 MEMOIRS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE. 
[PLATE 30.] 
30. Polygonum minus Hudson. 
Polygonum minus Hudson, Fl. Angl. 148 (1762); Gmelin, Syst. Nat. 2: 658; Meis- 
ner, in DC. Prodr. 14: 111. 
Polygonum pusillum Lamarck, Fl. Fr. 3: 235 (1778); Meisner in Mart. Fl. Bras. 
5: 17, as synonym. 
Polygonum strictum Allioni, Fl. Pedem. 2: 206. t. 68. f. 2 (1785); Meisner in Mart. 
Fl. Bras. 5: 17, as synonym. 
Annual, slender, dull-green, scurfy throughout. Stem lax, diffuse, 3-5 dm. long, 
sometimes procumbent and creeping, nearly simple or much branched, rather fleshy ; 
leaves varying from lanceolate to linear or sometimes oblong, 2-8 em. long, .2-1.5 em. 
broad, unsymmetrical and often scythe-shaped, papillose and sparingly pubescent on the 
lower surface, especially about the midrib, ciliate, short-petioled; ocreae cylindric or 
slightly funnelform at branching nodes, 1 cm. long, sparingly strigose and fringed with a 
few short bristles; inflorescence paniculate, usually rather simple, the ultimate divisions 
ending in spicate racemes; racemes linear, 1-5 cm. long, lax, few-flowered, more or less 
interrupted at the base; ocreolae funnelform, 3 mm. long, somewhat oblique, fringed 
with short bristles; pedicels about 3.5 mm. long; calyx greenish, 2.5-3 mm. long, five- 
parted to below the middle; stamens eight or fewer, included; style .5 mm. long, two- 
parted nearly to the base, included; achenes lenticular, nearly 2 mm. long, broadly 
oblong, conspicuously biconvex or triquetrous and narrowly ovyoid-oblong, black, smooth 
and shining. 
Louisiana and Chili. Introduced from Europe. 
