a 
The 
BRITISH HERBAL. 
487 
The ftalk is round, jointed, and green; a foot 
high, and not much branched. ; 
The leaves are long, narrow, and of a freth 
green, 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the ftalks and 
branches in longifh, but loofe {pikes ; and are of 
a pale, yellowifh green, 
It is common in watery places, flowering in 
June. : 
C. Bauhine calls it Perfcaria minor. 
Befide thefe, our fertile ditch banks afford no 
lefs than eight other fpecies of ar/mart. ° Thefe 
agree in their form and general manner of growth, 
The ftalks are jointed, the leaves oblong and un- 
divided, and the flowers fpiked in all of them. 
Their diftin@tions will therefore be familiarly con- 
veyed to the reader in an enumeration, fuch as 
we have before given under the dock kind, with- 
out the repetition of thefe common particulars in 
them all, in fo many feparate defcriptions. The 
feveral {pecies are thefe : 
!. Narrow-leaved Arfmart, Perfcaria anguftifolia, 
GOCE 
ew 
e 
Ne Uist 
This produces {pikes of flowers from the bo- 
foms of all the leaves, 
+ Spotted Arfmart, Perficaria mitis maculofa. 
The leaves of this are infipid, and each 
has a black {pot. 
- Hoary Arfmart, Perficaria folio fubtus incano, 
The leaves are whitith, and rough: under- 
neath. 
- Pale-leaved Arfmart, Petficaria mitis major 
Soliis pallidioribus. A very tall plant, with 
great, pale, fpotted leaves. 
Willow-leaved Arfmart, Perfcaria foliis fa- 
~ licis. The leaves are narrow, long, and fil- 
very white. 
. Spotted-ftalked Arfmart, Perfcaria latifolia 
mitis caule maculato. The ftalks beautifully 
variegated with red and purple, 
Perennial willow-leaved Arfmart, Perficaria 
Salicis folio perennis. The leaves very long, 
and fpikes thick. 
8. Procumbent Arfmart, with leaves fpotted, 
and hoary underneath, Per/caria maculofa 
procumbens foliis Jubtus incanis. 
nN 
aN 
a 
XV. 
KEN. OSTEG IR ASS: 
Pe Oneill. GONG Ue Me 
HE flower confifts of eight filaments, three ftyles, and a three-cornered germen or rudiment of — 
aL: a fruit, placed in a cup, formed of one leaf, divided into five fegments, and. thick, green on 
the back, and white or redifh on the infide. The ftalks are jointed and procumbent. 
‘Linnzus places this among the oéfandria trigynia. 
1. Common Knotgrafs. 
Polygonum vulgare. 
The root is fibrous. 
The ftalks are numerous, green, jointed, weak, 
and procumbent ; and they have many branches. 
The leaves are oblong, of a pale green, ob- 
tufe, and undivided. t 
The flowers ftand in their bofoms; and are 
white, with a tinge of red. 
It is common by way-fides, and flowers in 
July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Polygonum latifolium. 
The leaves of this plant are fometimes fmall 
and narrow, at others fhort and broader. This 
depends upon the place of growth ; but, under 
thefe different appearances, it has paffed upon 
botanifts as two other diftinét fpecies, called 
+ brevi angufto, and rotundofelio. 
2. Narrow-leaved Knotgrafs. 
Polygonum angufto et gramineo folio. 
The root is fibrous. - ; 
The ftalks are numerous, a foot in length, va- 
7 
rioufly branched, weak, and fcattered over the 
ground. 
The leaves are very narrow, and an inch or 
two in length ; fo that they appear grafiy. 
The flowers are fma!l and whitifh. eh 
It is common in wafte grounds, flowering in 
, June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Pohgonum angujto et oblongo 
folio. 
3. Sea-Knotgrafs. 
Polygonum maritimum. 
The root is fibrous. 
The ftalks are numerous, and fpread upon the 
ground. : 
The leaves are fmall, oblong, and of a greyifh 
“green, 
The flowers are large and white. 
We have it on our fea-coatts, flowering ia 
May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Polygonum marinum majus. 
All the fpecies are aftringent. A decoétion of 
the common knotgrafs is, excellent againft loofe- 
neffes with bloody ftools. 
G_ EN) Uns 
