Fagopyrnm.~\ cxix. POLYGONACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) 55 



1. P. esculentum, Moench Method. 290; annual, glabrous, leaves 

 triangular-cordate acute, flowers in axillary and terminal peduncled sub- 

 capitate many-fld. cymes, nut ovate angles acute. Meissn. in Wall. PI 

 As. Rar. iii. 63, and in DC. Prodr. xiv. 1.' 143; Sab. in Trans. Linn. Soc 

 xviii. 117. F. emarginatum, Meissn. in DC. 1. c.,excl. var. /3. ; Sab. I. c 

 118. Polygonum Fagopyrum, Linn. ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 292; Wall. Cat 

 1687. P. dioicum, Ham. mss. P. emarginatum, Roth Catalect. Bot. i. 48 : 

 Don Prodr. 73. 



Cultivated in the KHASIA IV? TS., throughout the HIMALAYA and WESTERN 

 TIBET at elevations of 2000 to 12,000 ft., and in the NILGHIBI HILLS. DISTEIB. 

 Centre of Europe and N. Asia. 



Stem 1-3 ft. Leaves 1-4 in. diam. (5 in very large specimens). Flowers pink 

 or white, in heads or compound cymes -f in. diam. Nut ^^ in. long, pale. 



2. F. cymosum, Meissn. in Wall. PL As. Rar. iii. 63, and in DC. 

 Prodr. xiv. 1.144; puberulous, root perennial, leaves triangular, flowers 

 secund on the long recurved branches of peduncled terminal and axillary 

 cymes, nut ovate angles acute. Sab. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xviii. 119; Lindl. 

 Sot. Reg. 1847, t. 26. F. triangulare, Meissn. II. c. F. emarginatum, var. 

 kunawarense, Meissn. in DC. I. c. 143. Polygonum cymosum, Treviran. 

 Delect. Sem. Hort. Vratisl. 1824 ; Reichb. Ic. Exot. ii. t. 176. P. acutaturn, 

 Lehm. Cat. Sem. Hort. Hamb. 1820. P. triangulare, Wall. Cat. 1689. 

 P. emarginatum, Wall. Cat. 1688 (not of Roth}. P. dibotrys, Don Prodr. 

 73. -P. volubile, Turcz. in Sull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosq. 1840, 77. P. rugosum, 

 Herb. Ham. 



TEMPERATE HIMALAYA ; in woods, &c., from Kashmir to Sikkim, alt. 5-11,000 ft. 

 KHASIA MTS., alt. 4-5000 ft. DISTRIB. Yunan. 



A tall branching perennial-rooted sparsely pubescent species. Leaves large, usually 

 3-4 in. diam., angles acute or obtuse, upper usually narrow and amplexicaul ; petiole 

 long, slender. Inflorescence very lax, branches of panicle 25 in. long ; flowers pedi- 

 celled, white. Nut \-% in., more than twice as long as the perianth. I suspect that 

 Meissner has described the fruit of tataricum under his F. triangulare. 



3. F. tataricum, G-artn. Fruct. ii. 182,'t. 119, f. 6; annual, glabrous* 

 leaves very broadly triangular- cordate or -hastate, flowers in axillary and 

 terminal peduncled subcapitate cymes, nut with 3 deep grooves aud rounded 

 angles. Meissn. in DC. Prodr. xiv. 144. F. rotundatum, Sab. in Trans. 

 Linn. Soc. xviii. 117 ; Meissn. I. c. Polygonum tataricum, Linn. ; Don Prodr. 

 74 ; Meissn. Monog. Polyg. 62, t. 4, 8 ; Dalz. fy Gibs. Bomb. Fl. Suppl. 74. 



Cultivated throughout the HIMALAYA, at elevations of 3-12,000 ft. DISTRIB. 

 N. Europe and N. Asia. 



Stem 2-3 ft., usually simple. Leaves 1-2 in. diam. Flowers white or pink. 

 Nut in. long, conico-ovoid, opaque, rounded, angles keeled towards the tip. 



5. RHETTXK, Linn. 



Stout herbs with woody large roots. Leaves large, entire toothed or 

 lobed; stipules scarious. Flowers clustered in panicled racemes usually 

 2-sexual. Sepals 5. Stamens 6-9. Ovary, 2-4-angled ; styles 2-4, stigmas 

 dilated capitate or horseshoe-shaped. Nut 2-4- winged, very much larger 

 than the usually unchanged sepals. Embryo straight, cotyledons broad. 

 Species 20, Central Asia and the Himalaya. 



* Stemless species. Flowers in a spike-like raceme. 



1. K. spiciforme, Eoyle III. 318, t. 78 ; leaves all radical thickly 



