POLYGONACEiE. (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY.) 697 



Perigoniiim herbaceous, triangular-um-sbaped, 6-toothed, the outer 

 three teeth at length spinescent, spreading, the inner connivent. 

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

 stigmas. Akene free, enclosed in calyx-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 

 staminate, on filiform pedicels. 



E. ^piiio§lis, L. Fiji - el - Jebel. Hanzab. Shajaret - el - ^Ajuz. 

 Raqhet-el-'Ajus. Dirs-eVAjitz. KuUeili. Mummeir. Hummeid. 

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

 lateral sterns 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. RUMEX, L. Sorrel. JIammdd. 



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. Ovaty 

 free. Styles 3, thread-like; stigmas tufted — Herbs, with alternate 

 leaves sheathing at base, and whorled flowers forming leafy or leafless 

 panicles or racemes. 



* Valves groiowg in fruit. 



t Midrib of one or more of tlie leathery valves with a warty protuberance 



at base or to middle. Styles free. Flotcers perfect or polygamous. 



X Perennials. 



§ Valves entire or somewhat rejMnd. 



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



§ § Valves serrated to inciscd.-dentate or aculeate, 

 5 R,.obtusif olios, 6 Nepalensis. 



X X Mo7iocarpics. Valves dentate or aculeate. 



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



t t 3Iidrib of membranous valves often iMcTcened into a deflexed scale at 



base, margins entire. Flotcers dioecious^ rarely perfect-polygamous. 



X Perennicls. 



II R. scuta tus, 12 tuberosus. 



X X Annuals. 

 13 R. lacerus, Id vesicarius, 15 roseus. 

 * * Valves unchanged in fruit, appressed to ahenes, not membranous. 

 Styles adnate to angles of ovary. Annuals. 



16 acetoselloides. 



1. BI. Opiciitali§, Bernh. 11 1 or more; stem stout, ending in 

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

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



91 



