184 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Polygonatum continued. 



summer, and potted-up ready for forcing after the stems 



die down. The large, fleshy rootstocks may be placed 



rather thickly in Gin. pots, and, after flowering is over, 



transferred again to the open ground. Large quantities 



of Solomon's Seal are annually imported purposely lor 



forcing ; but it may be prepared at home, by providing a 



good soil, and planting each year according to the quantity 



required. Propagated easily by divisions. 



P. biflorum (two-flowered).* JL, perianth greenish, Jin long ; 



peduncles one to three, but mostly two, flowered. May. I ovate- 



or lanceolate-oblong, nearly sessile, usually minutely pubescent, 



at least on the veins, pale or glaucous beneath. Stem slender, 



1ft. to 3ft. high. North America. 



P lanonionm (Japanese), fl. one to three in the axils, drooping ; 

 r iSh Un to Jin. long, with a white tube and green, deltoid 

 teeth. April. I. ten to twelve, alternate, ascending oblong 2m. 

 to Sin. long, acute, above obscurely glaucous below distinctly so. 

 Stem 1ft to lift. high. Japan. See Fig. 224 



FIG. 225. POLYGONATUM MULTIFLORUM, showing Habit and 

 detached Raceme. 



P. multiflorum (many-flowered).* Common Solomon's Seal ; 

 David's Harp ; Lady's Seal. fl. white ; perianth about eight lines 

 long, constricted in the middle ; peduncles two to five-flowered. 

 June. fr. bluish-black. I. alternate, 3in. to 5in. long, with very 

 short petioles, oblong, stem-clasping. Stem 2ft. to 3ft. high, 

 terete. Northern hemisphere (Britain). See Fig. 225. SYN. 

 Convallaria multiflora (F. D. 152). There are two or three varie- 

 ties of this very pretty plant ; one, flore-pleno, has double flowers, 

 and another, stnatum, variegated leaves. 



P. officinale (officinal), fl. white, having the perianth constricted 

 at the base. fr. dark violet. I. ten to twelve, alternate, oblong, 

 semi-amplexicaul. Stems about 1ft. high, angular. Northern 

 hemisphere (Britain). SYNS. P. vulgare, Convallaria Polygonatum 

 (F. D. 377). 



P. o. macranthum (large-flowered). A very large-flowered form. 

 h. 1ft. to IJft. Japan. (B. M. 6133.) 



P. oppositifolinm (opposite-leaved), fl. many, disposed in 

 opposite corymbs ; perianth tube white, beautifully ribbed with 

 red ; segments greenish ; peduncles four- to ten-flowered. April. 

 fr. scarlet. I. ten to twenty or more, oblong, acuminate, very 

 shortly petiolate, all opposite. Stems 2ft. to 4ft. high. Hima- 

 layas, 1822. Greenhouse. (B. M. 3529, H. E. F. 125, and L. B. C. 

 640, under name of Convallaria oppositifolia.) The form albo- 

 vittatum has red stems, and leaves striped with white. 



P. punctatum (dotted), fl., perianth tube white, lilac-dotted ; 

 segments greenish. May. I. twelve to twenty, ascendent, all 

 opposite, rarely alternate, oblong-lanceolate, 2in. to Sin. long, 

 cuneate at base, shortly petiolate, rigid. Stems 1ft. to 2ft. high, 

 angular, sulcate. India, 1857. (B. M. 5061.) 



P. roseum (rosy), fl. rose-colour, twin in the axils, on very 

 short pedicels : perianth nearly 4in. long, with a cylindrical tube 

 and short teeth. May. I. ascendent, linear or lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, sub-petiolate, 3in. to 5in. long ; upper ones opposite or 

 ternate ; those at the tips of the stems whorled. Stems 2ft to 

 3ft. high, sulcate. Central Siberia. (B. M. 5049.) 



P. verticillatum (whorled). /. greenish, rather smaller than 

 those of P. multijlorum ; perianth constricted in the middle ; 

 peduncle one to three-flowered. June. fr. red. I. whorled, 

 sessile, lanceolate. Stem 2ft. to 4ft high, angular. Northern 

 hemisphere (Britain). SYN. Convallaria verticillata (F. D. 86). 



P. vulgare (common). A synonym of P. officinale. 



FOLYGONE2E. A very distinct natural order of 



herbs, shrubs, or sometimes trees, broadly dispersed; 



the arborescent species are nearly all tropical American, 



Polygonese continued. 



the shrubs are mostly limited to the Eastern Mediter- 

 ranean or Western Asiatic region, and the herbaceous 

 kinds affect temperate and mountainous regions. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite, or, in a few genera, unisexual, regular, 

 usually rather small, springing from the axils of leaves 

 or bracts (sometimes ochreiforni), solitary or fasciculate, 

 in racemes or spikes; perianth inferior, calycine or 

 coloured, with four to six lobes or segments ; stamens 

 six to nine, rarely fewer, or many and indefinite ; fila- 

 ments filiform or dilated at base, free or connate in a 

 ring at the base; anthers two-celled, often versatile; 

 ovary trigonal or compressed, sessile or shortly adnate 

 to the perianth at the base; pedicels frequently articu- 

 lated. Fruit a nut, trigonal, compressed, or rarely 

 quadrigonal, rarely naked, usually covered by the peri- 

 anth. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, variable in 

 form, rarely lobed or divided; petioles usually more or 

 less dilated and stem-clasping. One of the most im- 

 portant products of the order is Rhubarb (Rheum 

 officinale). Buckwheat, Sorrels, and Docks may be men- 

 tioned as other economic members of the order. Poty- 

 gonece comprises thirty genera and about 600 species. 

 Examples are: Coccoloba, Fagopyrum, Muehlenbeckia, 

 Polygonum, and Kheum. 



FIG. 226. UPPER PORTION OF STEM OF POLYGONUM CUSFIDATUJU. 



