5S ENGLISH BOTANY. 
On damp rocky ledges and by the sides of streams in mountainous 
districts, sometimes descending along the course of rivers into the low 
countries, but only when the source of the river lies in mountainous 
districts. Not uncommon in North Wales and the mountainous portion 
of the north of England. More frequent in the higher hills in the 
south of Scotland, and the Scotch Highlands, extending to the Hebrides 
and Orkney, though not recorded from Shetland. Rare in Ireland; 
found on the mountains in the south and west of that country. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer, Autumn. 
Rootstock somewhat woody, many-headed, so that the plant often 
grows in dense tufts. Radical leaves on very long petioles; the lamina 
voundish-reniform or subdeltoid-reniform, cordate or subhastate, rounded 
or retuse at the apex, entire or repand, and somewhat crisped at 
the margins, palmately veined, bearing some resemblance to the leaves 
of the Swiss Rumex nivalis, but on larger petioles, the lamina 1 to 
3 inches across. Stem 4 to 18 inches high, nearly simple up to 
the panicle, leafless or with a leaf at the base of the first branch of the 
panicle. This leaf resembles the radical leaves, but is smaller, and 
with a shorter petiole. Panicle occupying the upper half of the stem, 
rather lax, slender; the branches with brown scarious entire ochrex 
at the base, leafless ; fascicles 2 to 6-flowered. Pedicels very slender, 
about half as long again as the nut, jointed about the middle, thickened 
at the apex. Sepals 2, somewhat reflexed. Enlarged petals spathulate, 
1 inch long, somewhat coloured, with 3 to 5 diverging ribs, shorter 
than the wing of the nut. Nut surrounded by an orbicular wing which 
is as broad as the seed-cavity, and cordate or subtruncate at the base, 
with a notch with approximate sides at the apex extending through 
the wing down nearly to the body of the achene; the substance of the 
wing membranous, marked with radiating anastomosing veins, olive, 
usually with a crimson margin; the seed-cavity of the nut oval- 
lenticular, with a furrow on each side of the medial line. Plant 
rather dull green, often tinged with reddish in autumn, glabrous. 
Kidney-shaped Mountain Sorrel. 
GENUS I.—-POLYGONUM. Linn. 
Flowers perfect, rarely polygamous by abortion. Perianth coloured, 
rarely herbaceous, 5-cleft or 5-partite, rarely 4-cleft; secments slightly 
unequal, and generally increasing in size and covering the fruit. 
Stamens 5, 6, or 8, rarely 4 or 9, when 5 opposite to the perianth 
segments; anthers versatile, movable. Glands perigynous, or more 
rarely hypogynous, alternate with the stamens, more rarely absent. 
Styles 2 or 3, generally more or less united at the base, sometimes 
