DICOTYLEDONS. POLYGONS.^. PotygOHUm. 205 



1. D. Laureola, racemes axillary of about 5 flowers, leaves lan- 

 ceolate glabrous evergreen, p. 119. f Foods. 



ORDER X. POLYGONEJE. 



Perianth free, 4 6-cleft, often coloured, persistent. Slam, de- 

 finite, hypogynous, or nearly so. Anth. bursting longitudi- 

 nally. Style 2 4-partite. Stigmas simple. Achenium or 

 Nut \ -seeded. Seed erect. Embryo straight or bent, on one 

 side of the farinaceous albumen. Radicle superior, twards, 



Herbs or rarely Shrubs. Leaves when young rolled ouspiked. 

 alternate, sheathing at their base. Flowers panic-led or 

 Mirb. Br. 



I. POLYGONUM. 



Perianth 4 6-partite, coloured, persistent. Stam. 5 9, often 

 8. Styles 2 3. Achenium or small Nut often triangular. 



* Leaves ovate or lanceolate. 



f* Spikes of flowers terminal. Nut triquetrous. (Bistorta.) 

 l.P. Bis tort a, stem simple bearing one spike, leaves ovate waved, 

 the radical ones running down into a footstalk, p. 120. 

 Meadows. 



2. P. vwiparum, stem simple bearing one spike, leaves linear- 

 lanceolate, the lower ones elliptical petiolate their margins re- 

 volute, p. 120. Mountains. 



j"f Flowers spliced, terminal, or axillary. Nuts ovate. (Persicaria.) 



3. P. atiiphibium, flowers pentandrous, styles forked, spike ob- 

 longo-ovate, leaves petiolate cordato-lanceolate rough at the 

 margins. a. aqualicum ; /3. terrestre. p. 121. Lakes and 

 their margins. 



4. P. Persicaria, flowers hexandrous, styles forked, leaves Ian* 

 ceolate (often spotted), spikes oblong erect their peduncle 

 smooth, stipules fringed, p. 121. Waste places. 



5. P. lapathifolium, flowers hexandrous with 2 distinct styles, 

 leaves ovato-lanceolate shortly petiolate, spikes oblong erect 

 their peduncle rough, stipules not fringed, p. 121. Fields. 



6. P. Hydropipcfy flowers hexandrous, styles forked, leaves lan- 

 ceolate waved and spotless, spikes lax filiform drooping, stem 

 erect, p. 121. Margins of lakes. 



1 . P. minus, flowers hexandrous, style undivided, leaves linear- 

 lanceolate plane very shortly petiolate, spikes slender erect, 

 stem rooting at the base. p. 121. Moist fields, rare. 



ttf Flowers axillary. (Polygonum.) 

 8. P. aviculare, flowers axillary, leaves elliptico-lanceolate rough 



