Poli/gonum.] OCTANDRIA— TRIGYNTA. 163 



shrub, bearinsf its numerous ^nr\)[e flowers before the leaves, and red 

 berries nestled among the foliage. Flowers sometimes white. 



2. D.Lmireofa, Ij. (^Spurge Laurel); racemes axillary of about 

 5 flowers, leaves lanceolate glabrous evergreen. E. Bot. t. 119. 



Woods, thickets and hedges throughout Enirland, especially in a clay 

 soil. Rare in Scotland ; about Rossljn and Bothwell. Fl. March. T^ . 

 — Stem rather stout, erect, 1 — 3 feet high, but little branched, naked 

 below, leafy above, and hence bearing some resemblance to a Palm. 

 Flowers drooping, each accompanied by an ovate, concave bractea. 

 Perianth funnel-shaped, pale yellowish-green ; limb 4-cleft. Stain, in- 

 cluded, standing in two rows of 4 each ; filaments very short. Berry 

 ovate, bluish-black. 



OCTANDRIA— TRIGYNIA. 



10. Polygonum. Linn. Persicarla, Bistort, Knot-grass and 



Buck- wheat. 

 * Styles 3, and the fruit triquetrous. 



1. P. Bistorta, L. (^Bistort or Snakeweed); stem simple bear- 

 ing one spiked raceme, leaves ovate waved, the radical ones 

 tapering into a footstalk. E. Bot. t. 309. 



Moist meadows in various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. 

 Fl. June. If. — 1 — H foot high. Upper leaves with long sheaths. 

 Spike cylindrical, dense. Flowers flesh-coloured, on short foot-stalks, 

 ■with small bracteas at their base. Stam. 8. Styles 3. Root large, tor- 

 tuose, very astringent. 



2. P. viviparum, L. (viviparous alpine Bistort); stem simple 

 bearing one spike, leaves linear-lanceolate, the lower ones ellip- 

 tical petiolate, their margins revolute. E. Bot. t. 669. 



Mountain pastures in the north of England, and abundant on the 

 Highland mountains of Scotland. Fl. June. 1/ . — 4 — 8 inches high, 

 slender. Spike linear; lower part of it generally bearing little vivipar- 

 ous bulbs of a fine red colour. Stam. 8. Styles 3. Perianth pale 

 flesh-coloured, almost white. — This species increases much by the bulbs, 

 and little, if at all, by seed, its triquetrous germen proving abortive. 



3. P. aviculdre, L. (common Knot-grass); flowers axillary, 

 leaves elliptico-lanceolate, stipules much shorter than the inter- 

 nodes with about 6 distant nerves, stem mostly procumbent 

 herbaceous, fruit shorter than the perianth striated with raised 

 points. E. Bot. t. 1252. 



Waste places and way-sides, abundant. Fl. May — Sept. . 



4. P. Roherti, Lois. (Robert's Knot-grass); flowers axillary, 

 leaves distant elliptico-lanceolate, stipules much shorter than 

 the internodes with very few indistinct nerves at length torn, 

 stem procumbent herbaceous, fruit shorter than the perianth 

 quite smooth on the surface. P. Rati, Bab. in Linn. Trans, v. 

 xvii.p. 458, and in E. Bot. Suppl. t. 2805. — P.acetosum, Hook, 

 in Sm. Comp. to E. FL ed. 2, p. 85 (not Bieb.). — P. tnaritimum. 

 Rail Syn. p. 147 — P. aviculare, jS. Br. Fl. ed. 3, p. 185. — 

 «. E. Fl. V. ii. p. 238 ? 



