62 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
In cultivated ground and waste places, where the soil has been 
recently disturbed, and in thickets and hedges. Common, and 
generally distributed. Var. 6 “in the garden of Williams's, Shanklin, 
and on the Dover at Ryde, Isle of Wight.”—Lromfield. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Annual. Late Summer, Autumn. 
Stem slender, wiry, twisted, climbing to the height of 2 or 3 feet or 
more when it has support; when growing without support decum- 
bent, and seldom more than 1 foot long. Leaves 2 to 3 inches long, 
somewhat resembling those of Convolvulus Sepium, but more acuminate, 
and all of them stalked; the lower ones solitary; the upper ones often 
2 or 3 together. Pedicels articulated immediately below the perianth. 
Perianth greenish, often tinged with red when in flower, usually dull 
green in fruit; segments with rather narrow white margins exactly 
covering and tightly enveloping the nut, the outer ones roughened and 
opaque, and keeled on the back. Nut to + inch long, dull black, finely 
granulated all over with elongate points disposed lengthways. Plant 
dull green, nearly glabrous, with the veins and margins of the leaves 
and angles of the stem squamous-puberulent. When not climbing, the 
leaves often turn bright crimson in autumn. 
Smith says the stamens are sometimes 6, and the styles only 2, but 
I have not seen any specimens in this state. 
The var. 6 I have not scen: Dr. Bromfield says, it “is remarkable 
as uniting to the habit and general aspect of P. Convolvulus much 
of the character of P. dumetorum. .. . The perianth is almost as 
broadly winged as in my specimens of the true P. dumetorum from Wim- 
bledon in Surrey, but the wings do not taper down so suddenly into the 
pedicel, and though it agrees with P. dumetorum in the elongation of 
the racemes, the somewhat greater length of the flower-stalks than is 
usual in P. Convolvulus, and the very distinct whorls of 5 to 10 or 
more flowers, it has not the slender and graceful appearance of that 
species.” —Fl. Vect. p. 438. 
Climbing Buckwheat. 
French, Renouée liseron. German, Windenartiger Kniterich. 
This is a frequent weed in corn-ficlds, producing seeds too small to be valuable as 
human food, but possessing equally nutritive qualities with those of the true Buck- 
wheat, and is much relished by poultry and most wild birds. The small black 
triangular seeds of this plant are often found among oats, and sometimes in such 
quantities as to give a peculiar flavour to the meal, unless they are previously removed 
by sifting. 
SPECIES IL—POLYGONUM DUMETORUM. Linn. 
Prats MCCXXVIU. 
Billot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No. 843. 
Annual. Stem round, twining, much branched. Leaves ovate or 
triangular-ovate, cordate-sagittate or cordate-hastate, acute, stalked. 
