18 Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 
Family XCV.—POLYGONACEi. 
By A. T. Gage. 
Herbsor shrubs. Leaves usually alternate and entire, sometimes 
serrulate. Stipules usually membranous and forming a tube encircling 
the stem. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, spicate, capitate or pani- 
culate. Flowers usually bi-sexual, pedicellate; perianth-segments 
3—6, usually 5, free or more or less connate, imbricate in the bud, 
persistent. Stamens usually 5—8, perigynous. Disc annular, glan- 
dular or absent. Ovaryfree, biconvex or 3—4-angled. Styles 1—3 ; 
stigmas various, usually capitellate. Ovule 1, orthotropous; nutlet 
hard, usually included in the perianth. Seed erect, with membranous 
testa and horny or floury albumen. Hmbryo usually lateral, radicle 
superior.—DistriB. Species over 600, distributed all over the world, 
but with a preponderance of species in temperate regions. 
1. Potyconum, Linn. 
Herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, usually petioled, 
stipules forming a membranous tube (ocrea) surrounding the stem. 
Inflorescence—in the Malayan Peninsular species—a branched spici- 
form raceme or a capitulate panicle. Flowers small, pink or white, 
pedicellate in the axils of small membranous spathe-like bracts. 
Perianth-segmentsusually 5. Stamens 5—8, perigynous, usually with 
minute yellow glands between the bases of the filaments; anthers 
usually pink or purple. Ovary lenticular or trigonous. Styles 2—3: 
stigmas capitellate. Nué included in the perianth, biconvex or tri- 
gonous, brown or black, usually polished. 
Inflorescence of branched spiciform racemes :— 
Ovary and nutlet bi-convex :— 
Stem stout, over 6 dm.; leaves large, 23 cm. long, 4°5 
em. broad, very tomentose .. as ins 
Stem slender, less than 3 dm.; leaves small, 6°5 em. 
long, 6 mm. broad, glabrous or minutely strigose .. 2. P. minus. 
. Ovary and nutlet trigonous :— 
Perianth eglandular ol So .. 93. P. barbatum. 
Perianth glandular :— 
Raceme very long, slender, decurved and long-inter- 
rupted 3¢ 5c sis -- 4. P. flaccidum. 
Raceme rather short, scarcely decurved and short- 
interrupted a -- 5. P. Hydropiper. 
Inflorescence of capitulate panicles :— ; 
An unarmed shrub .. ae ac .. 6. P. chinense.. 
1. P. tomentosum. 
