26 csix. roLYGONACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) \_Polygonum. 



P. rupestre, Karel Sf Kiril.En. Plant. Alt. 789. P. confertum, Royle inss.\ 

 Sab. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 116 ; Meissn. I. c. P. ammannioides, Jaub. 

 Sf Sp. L c. t. 119. P. affine, Steplian. mss.\ Spreng. Syst. ii. 256, not of 

 Don. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA ; from Kashmir to Garwhal x alt. 11,000-14,500 ft., Royle, 

 &c. WESTEBN TIBET ; ascending to 16,500 ft., Thomson, Stewart, &c. DISTEIB. 

 Soongaria, Persia, Syria, Asia Minor, Caucasus. 



Branches many, stout, flexuous, 2-6 in., from a woody stock, scaly at the base, but 

 not rooting. Leaves rarely 1 in., elliptic-lanceolate, almost succulent; stipules 

 silvery, obtuse, acute or acuminate. Perianth very thick, lobes with white margins. 

 Nut T ' a in. long, ovate, compressed or obtusely trigonous, black, shining, usually com- 

 pressed and obtuse in Indian examples. Boissier adopts the later name of P. alpestre 

 for this, because Meissner described his cognatum from a variety (P. rupestre, Kar. and 

 Kiril.) with longer pedicels. He further refers the Himalayan plant to Meissner's 

 var. ammannioides, a Persian form with shorter internodes, and smaller narrower 

 leaves ; but the majority of Indian specimens do not differ from the common form. 



6. P. paronychioides, C. A. Hey. En. PL Talysch. 20 ; rootstock 

 very stout woody, branches short tufted erect and ascending scaberulous 

 young concealed by the stipules, internodes very short, leaves linear with a 

 deciduous mucro margins recurved, stipules large hyaline lanceolate tumid 

 2-nerved tip lacerate, pedicels short jointed at the tip, fruiting perianth 

 urceolate lobes rounded shorter than the tube 2 outer awned at the back. 

 Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 1040 ; Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 89. P. Paronychia, 

 C. A. Mey. Enum. PI. Cauc. 158 (not of Cham. # ScJil.}. P. Meyeri, Steud. 

 Nomencl. P. mucronatum, Royle mss. Sab. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 

 115. 



WESTEBN HIMALAYA, in the drier regions j Kunawur to Zanskar, alt. 8-12,000 ft., 

 Royle, &c. DISTEIB. Afghanistan, Persia. 



Root or rootstock often as thick as the middle finger, tortuous, woody, with chestnut 

 scaling back. Stem 1-4 in., fragile, white or red-brown, not grooved. Leaves \ in., 

 nerveless, glabrous or scaberulous ; stipules in young plants concealing both leaves and 

 stem, lower with often two very faint included" nerves, upper with two strong exserted 

 ones. Fruiting -perianth as in P. cognatum, but shorter. Nut ^ in., broadest in the 

 middle, black, smooth. The character of the dorsally inucronate outer sepals appears 

 pretty constant, though not referred to by authors. 



7. P. salicornioides, Jaub. $ Spach. III. PL Orient. 1. 123 ; shrubby, 

 scaberulous, branches stout divaricate grooved at length spinescent and 

 leafless, internodes crowded, leaves minute fleshy linear ovate or oblong 

 rigid 1 -nerved margin re volute, stipules short hyaline lacerate, perianth 

 rosy, nut large thick opaque punctate. Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 90; 

 Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 1042. 



SCINDE, Vicary. DISTRIB. Persia. 



The specimen is very imperfect, and I have taken much of the specific character 

 from Boissier. 



* Root mostly annual (except some forms o/P. plebejum). 



8. P, aviculare. Linn.-, Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 1036 ; glabrous, branches 

 procumbent or ascending grooved leafy, leaves elliptic or elliptic-oblong or 

 -lanceolate obtuse flat nerveless, stipules shorter than the internodes hyaline 

 lacerate many-nerved, flowers axillary, pedicel short jointed at the tip, 

 perianth obovoid cleft to near the base, nut ovoid obtusely 3-gonous minutely 

 rugosely striolate. Bab. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 114. P. aviculare y. 

 diffusum, Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 97. 



