WASTES AND WAYSIDES IN SUMMER 



205 



are of two kinds — male and female, either mixed, or collected in 

 separate clusters. Segments of the perianth united, pointed, some- 

 times toothed, and spotted above. The plant flowers from July 

 to September, and is 

 abundant in most parts, 

 especially near the sea. 



The order Polygonacece 

 also includes several way- 

 side plants which may be 

 easily distinguished as a 

 group by the following 

 characters : — At the bases 

 of the alternate leaves are 

 membranous stipules that 

 form a sheath round the 

 stem. The flowers are 

 small, arranged in clusters 

 in the axils of the leaves, 

 or in terminal spikes or 

 racemes. The fruit is a 

 small nut, enclosed more 

 or less in the persistent 

 perianth. 



Three of the plants to 

 which we refer belong to 

 the genus Polygonum, in 

 which the sheathing stipule 

 is usually fringed at the 

 edge; and the small flowers 

 are either green or red, with 

 a perianth of five segments, 

 and stamens not exceed- 

 ing eight in number. The 

 little nuts, too, are either 

 flattened or triangular. 



The three species may be identified by the following summary of 

 their leach" ng features : 



1. The Spotted Persicaria [Polygonum Persicaria). — A very 

 common wayside plant, and a weed of almost all cultivated soils, 

 growing from one to two feet high, and flowering from July to 

 October. The leaves have, usually, a dark-colom-ed patch in the 



The Spotted persicaria. 



