32 cxix. POLTGONACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) [Polygonum. 



Wall. Cat. 1683/3, not of Don. P. bistorta, GcercJce in Sot. Eeis. Pr. 

 Waldem. 135. 



ALPINE and SUBALPINE HIMALAYA, from Kashmir to Sikkim, &c. WESTERN 

 TIBET, alt. 9-15,000 ft. DISTEIB. Alpine North and Arctic Europe, Asia and 

 America. 



Roof stock woody, as thick as the thumb or less ; stem 4-12 in., slender. Leaves very 

 variable, 1-6 in., coriaceous, sometimes pubescent or even tomentose beneath ; cauline 

 sessile, erect. Spikes 1-4 in. long ; bracts ovate, acuminate. Perianth very variable 

 in size. Stamens included or exserted. Styles filiform^slender, free and included or 

 greatly lengthened and connate below. Nut very small, trigonous or biconvex. 

 Probably an Alpine state of P. bistorta. 



17. P. sphserostachyum, Meissn. Monog. Polyg. 53, and in Wall. 

 PL As. Rar. iii. 52, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 125 ; root-leaves long-petioled 

 linear or linear-oblong acute or obtuse crenulate base acute or obtuse, spikes 

 solitary erect stout cylindric or capitate very dense-fld., flowers crimson 

 drooping. Sot. Mag. t. 6847. P. macro phy Hum, Don Prodr. 70; Sab. in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 95. P. gracillimum, Spreng. Cur. post. 154. P. 

 tenue, Don I. c. P. stenophyllum, Meissn. in DC. I. c. P. splendens, 

 Klotzsch in Sot. Reis. Pr. Wald. t. 88. P. affine, var. angustifolium, 

 Wall. Cat. 1683. 



TEMPERATE and SFBALPINE HIMALAYA; from Scinde to Sikkim, alt. 11-15,000 ft. 

 WESTERN TIBET, Heyde. 



The dense spike of brilliantly coloured drooping flowers is the best character for 

 this beautiful plant ; I am very doubtful about some of the synonyms cited for it and 

 for P. viviparum, especially as to Don's angustifolium, tenue & gracillimum. 



18. P. perpusillum, HooJc.f. Ic. PI. 1. 1490 A ; very dwarf, glabrous, 

 radical leaves subsessile narrowly linear obtuse margins recurved quite 

 entire, scape very slender 1 -leaved, flowers few capitate pendulous, sepals 4 

 unequal, stamens 1-3 perfect, nut trigonous or biconvex. 



ALPINE HIMALAYA, alt. 12-15,000 ft. ; Sikkim, J. D. H.; Kurnaon and Garwhal, 

 Btrachey <$f Winterbottom (Polyg. No. 39), Duthie. 



Subca?spitose ; rootstock stout, clothed with membranous torn stipules. Leaves 

 i~l by 2'^ in., spreading; stipules 2-fid. Scape -! in., erect; head - in. diam.; 

 flowers T ' s in. long, white or pink ; bracts crowded, obtuse ; pedicel short, jointed at 

 the top. Sepals broad, obtuse, very unequal, inner orbicular or oblong. Styles 2-3, 

 nearly free, stigmas capitate. Nut pale, smooth. A very singular little species, allied 

 to P. sphcerostachyum ; variable in number of stamens, some of which are reduced to 

 capitellate filaments, and in the form of the sepals and fruit. 



19. P. paleaceum, Wall. CW. 1684; root-leaves long-petioled linear- 

 oblong or -lanceolate crenulate base very narrow, spike solitary erect stout 

 cylindric, flowers crowded suberect pink. P. confusum, Meissn. in Wall. 

 PI. As. Rar. iii. 53. P. carneum, C. Koch in Linncea, xxii. 197. 



KHASIA MTS. ; alt. 4-6000 ft., abundant. 



Eootstock as thick as the thumb ; stem 6-16 in., slender. Leaves 3-9 in., very 

 variable in breadth, obtuse or acute, base always narrowed into the slender petiole. 

 Spikes 1-2 in., flowers crowded ; bracts ovate, acuminate, scarious. Very nearly 

 allied to P. bistorta, but the leaves are always very gradually narrowed to the base, 

 not forming broad wings below the base as usual in the European plants. This species 

 is omitted by Meissner in the Prodromus. 



** Perennial herbs with tufted or creeping branched rootstocks and 

 erect simple rarely branched flowering stems bearing erect spikes. 



20. P. amplexicaule, Don Prodr. 70; glabrous, densely tufted, 



