Plante Lindheimeriane. 23 
July. A low shrubby plant, 1-2 feet high, with the aspect of 
a heath.’ 
1 This plant also occurs in Drummond’s Texan Collection (No. 19 & 348 of 3d 
Coll.) ; from which source doubtless Fischer and Meyer obtained the specimens, upon 
which they established the genus Gonopyrum. But their genus must be reduced to 
Polygonella, from which it differs only in the hermaphrodite, instead of dioico-poly- 
gamous flowers, a character which would be insufficient, even if constant, which it 
probably is not. The filaments of Polygonella polygama (which are more correctly 
described than figured by Ventenat) are not materially different from those of the 
new Texan species. The generic character, &c. should properly stand as follows : 
POLYGONELLA, Michr. (Trib. Rumiceez, Meyer.) 
Polygonella and Gonopyrum, Meyer l. c. supr. 
Flores dioico-polygami vel hermaphroditi. Perigonium pentaphyllum, petaloide- 
um; phyllis seriei exterioris 2 immutatis fructif. reflexis, seriei interioris 3 erectis 
planis post anthesin ampliatis conniventibus fructum triquetrum includentibus. 
Stamina 8: filamenta dimorpha ; nermpe, tria phyllis perigonii interioribus opposita 
inferne dilatata et sepe bidentata; cetera subulato-setacea. Styli 3: stigmata 
capitata. Embryo in axi albuminis rectiusculus. — Fruticuli ramosissimi glabri, in 
planitiebus aridissimis Amer. Bor.-Orient. calidioribus vigentes; ramis hornotinis 
herbaceis foliosis ochreatis (ochreis brevibus nudis unidentatis) ; foliis crassiusculis 
parvulis linearibus spathulatisve subsessilibus sparsis vel in axillis pl. m. fascicula- 
tis; floribus (albis vel roseis) parvis spicato-racemosis ; rachi dense et appresse 
imbricatim ochreato-bracteati quasi articulati ; pedicillis solitariis articulatis, fructi- 
feris pendulis ; racemis sepius paniculatis. 
1. P. polygama: foliis cuneato-linearibus spathulatisve ; floribus dioico-polygamis ; 
sepalis ovalibus ad anthesin subequalibus ; filamentis tribus basi ovato-dilatatis vix 
aut ne vix dentatis ; stylis brevissimis.— Polygamum polygamum, Vent. Hort. 
Cels. t. 65; Ell. Sk. J. p. 458. Polygonella parvifolia, Michz.! Fl. IL. p. 240; 
Nutt. Gen. I. p. 256 (sub Polygono) ; Meisn. Gen. Vasc. Comm. p. 228. ~Polygo- 
num (Polygonella) gracile, Nutt. Gen. 1. c.?—In arenosis (sandy pine-barrens,) 
Caroline ! Georgie! Floride (Barlram! Leavenworth!) et, fide Nutt., in Ar- 
kansas. 
2. P. ericoides: foliis linearibus vel anguste spathulato-linearibus fasciculatis ; 
floribus (an semper?) hermaphroditis ; sepalis orbiculatis, interioribus subcordatis 
exteriora virido-carinata ad anthesin superantibus; filamentis tribus basi valde. 
bidentato-dilatatis quasi obcordatis; stylis longiusculis. — Gonopyrum Americanum, 
Fisch. § Meyer, in Mem. Acad, St. Petersb. 1. c. supra. —In planitiebus aridis 
Texas, Drummond ! Lindheimer ! Wright! Flores duplo majores quam in prece- 
dente, ramis crassioribus, etc. 
For the first species we have adopted the older specific name of Ventenat, in 
place of that of Michaux, chiefly because it is the largest-leaved species of the 
genus. 
Polygonum articulatum, Linn., which is joined, by Nuttall and Meisner, to Poly- 
gonella, with which, indeed, it nearly accords in habit (though an annual herb) and 
inflorescence, has all the sepals uniform and erect in fruit, the three inner not at all 
enlarged, and the embryo is lateral as in Polygonum. 
