Buckwheat Family 121 



ous, 4-8 dm. long; leaves mostly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 

 petioled, not undulate or crisped; racemes dense, interrupted 

 below in fruit; flowers in dense clusters; wings 2 mm. long, 

 undulate or subdentate, each bearing a large ovoid grain ; achene 

 2 mm. long, dark red. 



Frequent in moist places along the coast and in the mountains. 



5. B. conglomeratus Murr. Stems slender, erect, commonly 

 branched, 3-9 dm. high ; leaves oblong to lanceolate, 15 cm. long 

 or less, somewhat undulate and crisped, the lower long petioled, 

 cordate at base, acute or obtuse at apex, the upper short petioled ; 

 panicle very loose, much branched; racemes slender, inter- 

 rupted; flowers loosely whorled, the whorls distant; pedicels 

 slender, shorter than or equaling the wings ; wings ovate, fiddle- 

 shaped, 3 mm. long, toothed near the base, each bearing a large 

 oblong grain ; achene about 1.5 mm. long, pointed, red. 



Common in damp land, especially toward the coast. 



(>. R. crispus L. Stems simple or branched above, erect, 

 rather slender, 3-10 dm. high; leaves crisped and undulate, the 

 lower oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 15-30 cm. long, long petioled, 

 the upper narrowly oblong or lanceolate, short petioled, all cordate 

 or obtuse at base; panicle rather open; racemes simple or com- 

 pound ; flowers rather loosely whorled ; calyx green ; fruiting 

 pedicels about twice the length of the wings, jointed near the 

 base; wings cordate, 3-4 mm. long, truncate or notched at base, 

 erose-dentate or nearly entire, each bearing a grain ; achene 2 

 mm. long, dark brown. 



Common in moist places. 



7. B. hymenosepalus Torr. Stems erect, 4-6 dm. high, 

 stout, leafy, simple or branched above; leaves attenuate to a 

 short thick fleshy petiole, oblong to broadly lanceolate, often 3 

 dm. long, acute, strongly undulate; racemes panicled about 3 

 dm. long; pedicels 6-12 mm. long; wings 8-12 mm. broad, rose 

 color, deeply cordate, strongly reticulate-veined, grains entirely 

 wanting; achene 4 mm. long. 



Frequent in dry sandy soil. Canaigre of commerce. 



9. POLYGONUM L. KNOTWEED. 



Annual or perennial, terrestrial or aquatic herbs, with 

 alternate entire leaves and naked, ciliate or foliaceous 

 margined sheaths. Flowers usually perfect, often colored, 



