Polygonum.'] cxix. POLYGONACE.E. (J. D. Hooker.) 33 



flowering stems 2-3 ft. very slender, leaves large long-petioled ovate-cordate 

 caudate-acuminate crenulate upper amplexicaul, racemes very long-peduncled 

 erect, bracts ovate, styles free slender. Meissn. in Wall. PL As. Ear. iii. 54, 

 and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 126 ; Sal. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 96 ; Sot. Reg. 

 1839, t. 46 ; Sot. Mag. t. 6500. P. oxyphyllum, Wall. Cat. 1715 ; Meissn. 

 II. c. P. ambiguum, Meissn. II. c. ; Wight Ic. t. 1797. P. petiolatum, Don 

 I. c.fid. Sab. 



TEMPEEATE HIMALAYA ; from Murree, alt. 6-8000 ft., to Sikkirn, alt. 9-13,000 ft. 



RootstocJc stout, woody, branched. Stems 2-3 ft. , green, sparingly leafy. Lower 

 leaves 3-6 in. long, minutely papillose beneath, especially on the nerves ; stipules 

 1-2 in., narrow, tips torn. Racemes 1-2, 2-6 in. long. Floivers red, white or 

 greenish-white, - in. diam. Stamens 8, anthers exserted. Ovary 3-gonous. 



Var. speciosa ; flowers larger, ^ in. diain., deep purplish-red or claret-coloured. 

 P. speciosum, Wall. Cat. 1716 ; Meissn. II. c. Occurs throughout the range of the 

 species, and is the only form found hitherto in Sikkim, the specimens from whence are 

 very stout. In Nepal it occurs in a large branched form. 



21. P. affine, Don Prodr. 70, excl. syn. ; glabrous, densely tufted, 

 flowering stems 4-12 in., leaves sessile or shortly petioled linear- or elliptic- 

 lanceolate or oblanceolate acute or obtuse crenulate glaucous beneath cauline 

 few, racemes shortly peduncled stout erect, flowers suberect, styles free 

 slender. Meissn. Monog. Polyg. 52, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 126 ; Sab. in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 97; Sot. Mag. t. 6472. P. Brunonis, Wall. Cat. 

 1692; Boyle III. 317, t. 80, f . 3 ; Meissn. in Wall. PI. As. Bar. in. 54; 

 Lindl. # Paxt. Fl. G-ard. ii. t. 37 ; Lemaire Jard. Fleur. t. 117. P. Do- 

 nianum, Spreng. Syst. Cur. post. 154. 



ALPINE andS TJBALPINE HIMALAYA; from Kashmir, alt. 8-14,000 ft., eastward 

 Kumaon, alt. 11-13,000 ft. WESTERN TIBET. 



Riitzfaek wooly, longf, bra nched, often tortuous, and 4-8 in. long ; crown clothed 

 with scarious old stipules. Leaves chiefly radical, 2-4 in., narrowed into the petiole, 

 finely reticulate, margins recurved; stipules -1 in., entire or split, many-nerved, 

 brown. Peduncles 3-8 in., usually stout. Racemes 2-3 in., obtuse, flowers crowded, 

 ros y> 6~4 in - diam. Sepals elliptic-oblong. Nut 3-gonous. Iskardo and Kashmir 

 specimens attain 16 in. in height. 



22. P. vacciniifolium, Wall. Cat. 1695 ; tufted, glabrous, branches 

 trailing and creeping, leaves shortly petioled small orbicular or elliptic acute 

 at both ends or acuminate quite entire, stipules rigid laciniate with many 

 long strong excurrent nerves, racemes subsessile, styles filiform free. 

 Meissn. in Wall. PI. As. Bar. iii. 54, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 126 ; Boyle 

 III. 317, t. 80, f. 2; Sab. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 96; Lindl. fy Paxt. 

 Fl. Gard. ii. 37 ; Sot. Mag. t. 4622. 



TEMPEEATE and STJB ALPINE HIMALAYA; from Kashmir to Bhotan, alt. 9-14, 000 ft. 

 WESTEEN TIBET ; Ladak, alt. 14-16,500 ft., Stewart. 



Rootstock sometimes as thick as the little finger and twisted, usually longer more 

 slender and much branched ; branches leafy. Leaves J-f in., rather glaucous beneath ; 

 stipules J- in., brown, giving a crinite appearance to the tips of the young branches. 

 Racemes 1^-3 in. ; bracts acuminate ; flowers rose-red, in. diam. Stamens at length 

 exserted. Meissner's vars. obtusifolium, medium, andflagelliforme, are not sufficiently 

 distinguishable. 



23. P. emodi, Meissn. in Wall. PL As. Bar. iii. 51, 54, t. 287, and in 

 DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 127 ; glabrous, rootstock elongate, branches trailing and 

 creeping, leaves subsessile rigid linear-lanceolate acuminate at both ends 

 quite entire striate-nerved, stipules long membranous acuminate many- 

 nerved, racemes peduncled, stamens included, flowers pedicelled, styles free 



VOL. V. D 



