80 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
to it, we might welcome its presence in our pastures. The leaves were at one time 
thought to render any who drank a decoction of them safe from all infection, even 
the plague. The root contains a large quantity of tannin, which renders it 
highly astringent. This property gave rise to its medicinal reputation, and it is even 
now regarded by some as a valuable remedy in hemorrhage and diarrhoea, and like- 
wise as a tonic, in combination with gentian, for intermittent fevers. Though very 
astringent and bitter to the taste, the root is farinaceons, and contains a large quantity 
of starch, which is edible and nutritious after being steeped in water. <A considerable 
quantity of Bistort thus prepared is consumed in Russia and Siberia in times of 
scarcity instead of bread. In the northern counties of England the young shoots 
have long been known by the name of Easter-giant, and boiled for the table. Perhaps 
it was because of its being full-grown about Easter time that the plant had the old 
name of Passions. It was, too, called English Serpentary. The name Bistort is 
derived from its twisted roots, bis, twice, torta, twisted ; and thence called by Turner 
twice writhen. 
SPECIES XIV—POLYGONUM VIVIPARUM. Lin. 
Prats MCCXLIV. 
Billot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No. 3463. 
Rootstock rather slender, woody, shortly creeping, slightly branched; 
branches terminating in enlarged tubers. Stem erect, quite simple. 
Radical leaves on lon& stalks, elliptical-oblong or strapshaped-elliptical, 
attenuated nearly equally at both ends, but rather more so at the apex, 
very slightly decurrent on the petiole; stem leaves similar to the 
radical ones, but narrower and on shorter stalks. Ochrezx tight, not 
fringed. Raceme spikelike, cylindrical, erect, solitary at the extremity 
of the stem, rather dense, continuous, or slightly interrupted but not 
leafy at the base, with sessile bulbilles instead of flowers on the lower 
part of the rachis. Peduncles not glandular: pedicels about as long 
as the nut, articulated immediately below the perianth, not glandular. 
Perianth coloured, without glands or prominent veins. Stamens 6 to 8. 
Styles 3, free to the base. Nut very rarely matured, shorter than the 
perianth, oval, triquetrous, acuminated at each end, smooth, shining. 
Leaves glaucous beneath. 
On ledges of rocks and in damp places, principally by the sides 
of streams; frequent in mountainous districts. It occurs in Car- 
narvon, York, Durham, and Westmoreland, and is common in the 
Scotch Highlands, extending north to Shetland. Very rare in 
Ireland, where it is found only on Ben Bulben, co. Sligo; and Glenerg, 
co. Leitrim. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Stems 6 to 18 inches high. Radical leaves on stalks 2 to 6 inches 
