114 POLYGOXACEAE. 



pendulous; stj'le 2-3-eleft or 2-3-parted, sometimes very short; stigmas 

 capitate or tufted, rarety 2-eleft; fruit a lenticular 3-angled or rarely 4- 

 angied achene, usually invested by the persistent calyx; endosperm mealy; 

 cotyledons accumbent or incumbent; embryo straight or nearly so. Only 

 the following family. 



Family 1. POLYGONACEAE Lindl. 

 Buckwheat Family. 



About 40 genera and 800 species, of wide geographic distribution. 



Herbaceous plants. 



Erect or ascending herbs. 



Ocreae cylindric, truncate. 1. Persicaria. 



Ocreae oblique. 2. Fagopyrum. 



Vines ; racemes terminating in tendrils. 3. Antigonon. 



Trees and shrubs. 4. CoccoIoMs. 



1. PERSICARIA [Tourn.] Mill. Gard. Diet. Abr. ed. 4. 1754. 



Herbs, with alternate entire leaves, cylindric ocreae, and flowers in slender 

 spike-like racemes, the ocreolae funnelform, the short pedicels jointed at the 

 base of the calyx. Sepals mostly 5, neither winged nor keeled. Stamens 4-8, 

 included or exserted, the filaments erect or nearly so. Styles 2 or sometimes 

 3, usually partly united; stigmas capitate. Achene lenticular, or sometimes 

 S-angled, usually black. Endosperm horny; cotyledons accumbent. [From 

 Tersica, the leaves resembling those of the peach.] About 125 species, widely 

 distributed. Type species: Polygonum Persicaria L. 



Ocreae ciliate. 



Flower clusters contiguous. 1. P. hydropiperoides. 



Flower clusters separated. 2. P. punctata. 



Ocreae eciliate. " 3. P. portoricensis. 



1. Persicaria hydropiperoides (Michx.) Small, Fl. SE. U. S. 378. 1903. 



Polygonum liijdropiperoides Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 239. 1803. 



Perennial, strigillose; stem erect, decumbent or prostrate, slender, 3-9 

 dm. long. Leaves narrowly lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, varying to linear- 

 lanceolate, 5-15 cm. long, short-petioled, acute at apex, ciliate, pubescent with 

 appressed hairs on the midrib beneath; ocreae cylindric, loose, strigose, fringed 

 with long bristles; racemes panicled, terminal, erect, narrow, more or less inter- 

 rupted, 3-7.5 cm. long; calyx pink or greenish; stamens 8; style 3-parted to 

 below the middle; achene 3-angled, ovoid or oblong, 2-2.5 mm. long, smooth, 

 shining. 



Water-holes, Great Bahama at West End : — Continental North America south 

 to Florida and California. Mild Water Pepper. 



2. Persicaria punctata (Ell.) Small, Fl. SE. L'. S. 379. 1903. 



Polygonum punctatum Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 455. 1817. 

 Polygonum acre H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 2: 179. 1817. Not Lam. 1778. 



Annual or perennial, glabrous or very nearly so; stem erect or ascending, 

 rarely prostrate, simple or branched, 3-12 dm. long. Leaves lanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, 3-20 cm. long, acuminate at both ends, petioled, ciliate, con- 

 spicuously punctate, acrid, the midrib often with a few scattered hairs; ocreae 



