582 THE POLYGONUM FAMILY. [Rumcx. 



In meadows, and waste places, usually in richer and wetter situations 

 than R. sanguineus, widely spread over Europe and central and Russian 

 Asia, except the extreme north, and apparently naturalised in many 

 other parts of the world. Generally distributed over Britain, but not 

 always readily distinguished from R. sanguineus. Fl. summer. [An 

 erect maritime variety, with narrower root-leaves, tapering panicle, 

 fewer narrower bracts, and larger fruiting sepals, occurs on all the 

 southern coasts, and is the R. rupestris, Le Gall.] 



6. B. sanguineus, Linn. (fig. 863). Red-veined D. Stem not so 

 tall as in most of the preceding species, seldom above 2 feet, and more 

 branched. Radical leaves oblong or lanceolate, sometimes cordate at the 

 base, waved on the edges, and sometimes narrowed in the middle as in 

 S. pulcher. Panicle leafy at the base, with stiff, though slender, very 

 spreading branches ; the whorls of flowers all distinct. Pedicels shorter 

 than in the foregoing, but longer than in the following species. Fruiting 

 perianths small ; the inner segments narrow, and entirely or scarcely 

 toothed, one about 1 lines long, with a large tubercle, the two others 

 usually smaller, without any or only a very small tubercle. 



On roadsides, in ditches, pastures, and waste places, throughout Europe 

 and Russian Asia, except the extreme north, usually accompanying R. 

 Crispin and R. obtusifolius. Abundant in Britain. Fl. summer. It varies 

 considerably, and often assumes a red tint, especially on the leafstalks 

 and panicle. 



7. B. pulcher, Linn. (fig. 864). Fiddle D. A rather low species, 

 often not a foot high, and seldom 2 feet, with stiff, very spreading 

 branches. Leaves chiefly radical, oblong, cordate at the base, and often 

 narrowed in the middle. Whorls of flowers all quite distinct, forming 

 very compact clusters ; the fruiting pedicels thickened and recurved, 

 shorter than the perianth. Inner segments toothed, as in R. obtusifolius, 

 but narrow-ovate, all 3, or only 1 or 2 of them bearing a tubercle, which 

 is often itself tubercled. 



On roadsides and in waste places, in central and southern Europe and 

 western Asia, very common in the Mediterranean region, but not extend- 

 ing into northern Germany. In Britain, chiefly in southern England, but 

 occurs as far north as Nottingham and North Wales. Fl. summer. 



8. B. maritimus, Linn. (fig. 865). Golden D. Stem 1 to 1J feet 

 high, often much branched. Leaves narrow-lanceolate or linear. Flowers 

 very small and very numerous, densely crowded in globular axillary 

 whorls, even the upper floral leaves being much longer than the flowers. 

 Pedicels slender but short. Inner segments of the fruiting perianth 

 lanceolate or triangular, fringed with rather long fine teeth, and with 

 a narrow-oblong tubercle upon each segment. The whole plant, and 

 especially the perianth, often assumes a yellowish hue. 



In marshes, chiefly near the sea, in temperate Europe and Russian Asia, 

 extending northwards into Scandinavia. In Britain, apparently confined 

 to England and Ireland. Fl. summer. A more luxuriant variety, with 

 the whorls more distant, and rather shorter points to the teeth of the 

 perianth-segments, has been distinguished as R. palustris, Sm. 



9. B. Acetosa, Linn. (fig. 866). Sorrel D. Stems scarcely branched, 

 1 to 2 feet high. Leaves chiefly radical, oblong, 3 to 5 inches long, 

 sagittate at the base with broad pointed auricles, of a bright green, and 

 ery acid ; the stem-leaves few. on shorter stalk*. Blowers dioecious 



