Polygonum.] cxix. POLYGONACE.E. (J. D. Hooker.) 45 



mss. Ampelygonum chinense, Lindl. in Sot. Reg. 1838; Misc. 63, No. 118. 

 P. pandurseforme, Ham. mss.\ Wall. Cat. 1704 D. Coccoloba crispata, 

 Ham. in Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 292. 



SUBTROPICAL and TEMPERATE HIMALAYA ; from Simla to Bhotan, alt. 4-8000 ft. 

 ASSAM, the KHASIA MTS., SILHBT, CACHAE, CJIITTAGONG, RANGOON and BUEMA 

 to MALACCA. BEHAE, top of Parusnath, alt. 4000*ft. DECCAN PENINSULA ; on the 

 Western Ghats from the Concan southward. CEYLON, abundant. DISTEIB. 

 Sumatra, Java, Philippine Islands, China and Japan. 



A rambling or erect shrub, reaching 5 ft. ; stems and branches many from the 

 root, stout, flexuous, angled and grooved. Leaves extremely variable, rarely orbicular; 

 gland-dotted or not, rigid or membranous, flat or undulate ; petiole short, winged 

 above, auricles extremely variable, deciduous usually rounded, sometimes in. broad, 

 at others suppressed ; stipules often f in. long with long waving points. Heads very 

 variable in number, -5- in. diam.; peduncles divaricate; flowers white, pink or 

 purplish. Perianth 5-cleft. Stamens 8. Styles 3, connate below. Nuts variable 

 in size, enclosed in the dry or fleshy perianth. A polymorphous plant, of which the 

 following forms may show the extent of variation, but are not approximately constant, 

 nor do they comprise all the departures from any assumed type that could be denned 

 by words, which would be a very great many. I cannot conceive what other Poly- 

 gonum than this Both describes as P. ovatum. 



P. chinense proper ; leaves ovate-oblong or deltoid-ovate base truncate or sub- 

 cordate, peduncles eglandular. Var. Thunbergianum, Meissn. in Wall. PI. As. Rar. 

 iii. 60, and in DC. I. c. 



Var. ovalifolia, Meissn. 1. c. ; leaves ovate or oblong-ovate acute at both ends 

 often crenulate glabrous, peduncles glandular-hispid, heads large or small. Hima- 

 laya, Parusnath, common in the Deccan Mts., Ceylon, &c. 



Var. subhastata, Meissn. 1. c. ; leaves oblong or lanceolate base cordate or sub- 

 hastate sometimes very long, peduncles eglandular, heads small. 



Var. corymbosa, Meissn. 1. c. ; leaves oblong-lanceolate base acute or acuminate, 

 peduncles eglandular, heads large. 



Var. ?parvifolia ; stem slender prostrate, leaves l-2 in. hastate oblong, petiole 

 not auricled, bracts obtuse or subacute. Silhet, WallicJi ; Assam, Jenkins. This 

 may be a different species ; the habit is that of P. Wallichii, but the leaves are not 

 ciliolate. 



Var. Jiispida ; branches leaves on both surfaces and inflorescence hispidly hairy, 

 hairs on the branches reflexed. Teuasserim, Gallatly (in Herb. Calcutt.}. 



Sect. IX. ECHINOCAULON, Meusn. Erect prostrate or subscanclent often 

 prickly herbs. Leaves usually broad, often cordate or hastate ; stipules 

 tubular. Flowers in simple or panicled heads or spikes ; bracts usually 

 shortly tubular, ciliate. Perianth 5-lobed. Stamens 5-8, with alternating 

 glands. Styles 2-3, free, stigmas capitate. Nu t free, trigonous or biconvex^ 

 cotyledons accumbent. 



* Nut exserted. 



49. P. muricatum, Meissn. Monog. Polyg. 74, in Wall. PL As. 

 Rar. iii. 58, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1. 133 (not of Wall. Cat.}; stem very 

 long and slender flaccid smooth or angles sparsely scabrid, leaves distant 

 lower petioled ovate or oblong-ovate acute or obtuse, base rounded truncate 

 or cordate upper amplexicaul-cordate, stipules glabrous ciliate, heads laxly 

 panicled, peduncles glandular-hispid or glabrous, spikes few-fid. P. aspe- 

 rulum, Wall. Cat. 1724. Polyg. pedunculare var. and Polver. n. 57 Herb 

 Ind. Or. H. f. $ T. 



CENTEAL and EASTEBN HIMALAYA ; Nepal, Wallich ; Sikkim, alt 10-1 000ft 

 J. D. H. KHASIA MTS., alt. 4-5000 ft., J. D. H. % T. T., Clarke. 



