POLYGONACES. 59 
very short; stigmas capitate. Fruit lenticular when there are 2 styles, 
or trigonous when there are 3, enclosed in the persistent perianth 
segments. Seed similar in shape to the achene; albumen copious, 
mealy or horny; embryo eccentric or axial, in the former case with 
the cotyledons narrow, in the latter with the cotyledons large and 
foliaceous. 
Annual or perennial herbs, rarely undershrubs, with alternate, entire 
or serrulate leaves with ochreate stipules. Pedicels articulated. 
Flowers in the axils of ochreate bracts, arranged in spikes, or spikelike 
racemes, or panicles, generally pink or white. 
The name of this genus of plants comes from two Greek words, roduc (polus), 
many, and yévv (gonw), a joint, from the numerous joints or knots in the species. 
Section L—FAGOPYRUM. Tournef. 
Stem branched, erect. Leaves triangular-ovate, cordate or hastate, 
palmately nerved. Flowers fasciculate, the fascicles arranged in terminal 
and axillary spikelike racemes disposed in a corymb or panicle. 
Perianth not accrescent. Stamens 8. Styles 3, free. Embryo axial; 
cotyledons broad, foliaceous, palmately nerved, crumpled. 
SPECIES I-POLYGONUM FAGOPYRUM. Lin. 
Prats MCCXXVI. 
Fagopyrum esculentum, Minch; Meisn. in D.C. Prod. Vol. XIV. p. 143. Bab. Man. 
Brit. Bot. ed. v. p. 286. Fries, Summ. Veg. Scand. p. 51. 
Annual. Stem erect, branched. Leaves ovate-triangular, acumi- 
nate, cordate-sagittate or cordate-hastate, acute; the lower ones stalked, 
the uppermost sessile and amplexicaul. Ochrez obliquely truncate, not 
fringed. Flowers in lateral fascicles, arranged in short leafless stalked 
racemes combined into terminal and axillary corymbs. Pedicels about 
as long as the nut, recurved, articulated a little above the middle. 
Perianth petaloid, 5-partite, withering in fruit. Stamens 8. Styles 
3, very short. Nut oval-triquetous, acuminated, longer than the 
perianth, smooth, dim, dark brown; the angles entire, not sinuated or 
winged. Plant not glandular. 
In cultivated ground and waste places. Frequent in districts where 
it is cultivated, scarce elsewhere, but having no claims to be considered 
native, and not persistent in its stations. 
[England, Scotland, Ireland.] Annual. Late Summer, Autumn. 
Stem 9 inches to 2 feet high; branches spreading, absent in weak 
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