POLYGONACE^. (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY.) 607 



Perigonium herbaceous, triangular-urn-shaped, 6-toothecl, the outer 

 three teedi at length spinescent, spreading, the inner conniyent. 

 Ovary triquetrous, with a basilar, erect ovule, and three, penicillate 

 stigmas. Akene free, enclosed in cal^'x-tube. Seed erect, turbinate- 

 triquetrous. Embryo peripheral around mealy albumen, cotyledons 

 leafy, radicle superior — Annual, forked herbs, with truncate, torn, 

 membranous ochreae, and green flowers in axillary, leafless racemes or 

 clusters, the lower pistillate nearly sessile, the upper perfect or 

 staminatc, on filiform pedicels. 



E. ypinosus, L. Fiji - el - Jebel. Bcinzab. ^Shajaret - el - ^AjUz. 

 Raqlet-el-'Ajuz. Dirs-el-'^Ajuz. Kulleih. Hummeir, Ilummeid. 

 Tahldlast. .2 to .5, glabrous, usually many-stemmed from neck, the 

 lateral stems often decumbent. Leaves petioled, entire, cordate or 

 truncate at base, ovate to ovate-oblong. Inner teeth of fruiting calyx 

 ovate-triangular,' 3-ribbed, the outer spinescent, usually recurved-— 

 October to April — Sandy places and fields ; common. 



5. RUIUEX, L. SoPvREL. Hammdd. 



Flowers perfect, or polygamous, or dioecious. Perigonium her- 

 baceous, G-parted, inferior, persistent, the inner divisions (valves) often 

 growing after flowering, connivent, closely embracing the fruit ; the 

 outer small, spreading or reflexed, rarely erect. Stamens 6. Ovary 

 free. St\4es 3, thread-like; stigmas tufted — Herbs, with alternate 

 leaves she athing at base, and whorled flowers forming leafy or leafless 

 panicles or racemes. 



* Valves growing in fruit. 



t 3Iidril) of one or more of the leathery valves with a warty protubei'ance 



at lase or to middle. Styles free. Floicers perfect or polygamous. 



X Perennials. 



§ Valves entire or soiaewhat reimnd. 



I R. Orientalis, 2 crispus, 3 conglomeratus, 4 nemorosus. 



§ § Valves serrctted to incised-dentate or acideate. 



5 R. obtusifolios, 6 Nepalensis. 



X X 3Ionocarx)ics. Valves dentate or aculeate. 



7 R. pulcher, 8 Cassius, 9 dentatus, 10 bucephalophorus. 



t t Midril) of memlranous valves often thickened into a deflexed scale at 

 lase, margins entire. Floioers dioecious, rarely pofect-polygamous. 



X Perennials. 



II F;. scutatus, 12 tuberosus. 



X X Annuals. 



13 R. lacerus, 14 vesicarius, 15 roseus. 



* * Valves unchanged in fruity apprcssed to alcncs, not memhrano^iS. 

 Styles adnatc to angles of ovary. Annuals. 



16 acetoselloides. 



1. R. Oviciitali§, Bcrnh. li 1 or more; stem stout, ending in 

 a nearly leafless, dense panicle. Leaves peduncled, more or less cordate 

 at base, oblong, the lowest .3 to .4 lorg, .00 to .08 broad, the upper- 



91 



