98 MEMOIRS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE. 
[PLATE 36.] 
36. Polygonum Rayi Babington. 
Polygonum Rayi Babington, Man. Brit. Bot. Ed. 2, 275 (1847); Meisner in DC. 
Prodr. 14: 88. 
Perennial or annual, glabrous, glaucescent throughout or sometimes bright green. 
Stem prostrate, .5-6 dm. long, ridged, simple or much branched either from the base or 
throughout, slender or stout; leaves varying from ovate to ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 
5-4 em. long, .2-1 em. broad, shorter than the internodes, except on young branches, 
rather thin or somewhat fleshy, usually flat, acute or obtusish, sometimes inconspicu- 
ously sub-parallel nerved above, acuminate at the base, not revolute, articulation at 
the ocreae not prominent; ocreae funnelform, oblique, .5-.8 cm. long, two-parted, at 
length lacerate, silvery, becoming fuscous and glaucous at the base; inflorescence axillary, 
consisting of clusters bearing from two to five flowers; pedicels slender, 5-4 mm. long; 
calyx 4 mm. long, five-parted to below the middle, the segments oblong, obtuse, sub- 
petaloid, with whitish borders; stamens eight, included; style 5 mm. long, three-parted 
to the base; achene triquetrous, 3.5-5.5 mm. long, ovoid, inclined to be acute, dark chest- 
nut-colored, slightly granular but mostly shining, conspicuously surpassing the calyx. 
Prince Edward’s Island and New Brunswick to Vancouver Island, southward along 
the Atlantic coast to Virginia. Probably naturalized from Europe. 
