Polygonum.] polygonace^. 433 



Root very fibrous. Stem erect or procumbent below, and rooting at the joints, 

 simple or branched, 2 — 3 feet high, roundish, green or reddish, tapering between 

 the joints, above each of which it is swollen or enlarged in a bulbous form. 

 Leaves lanceolate, bright green, almost sessile, waved, acute, quite entire, ciliated 

 along the edges with short bristly hairs, and having commonly a dark spot, more 

 or less distinct and sometimes wholly wanting, on their upper side about the cen- 

 tre. OchrecB much shorter than the internodes, abrupt, with many pale ribs, end- 

 ing in long fringing hairs. Spikes on lateral and terminal smooth peduncles, in 

 colour from bright rose-red to nearly white, hardly above an inch long, ovate and 

 obtuse. Segments of the perianth connivent, blunt. Stamens 6 ; anthers round, 

 their lobes not disunited. Styles mostly 2, sometimes 3, forked, united upwards 

 for about half their length. Fruit ovato-acuminate, quite smooth, black and 

 shining, mostly compressed and 2-edged, but often towards the summit of the 

 spike are found a few seeds acutely triquetrous, and which, according to Wahlen- 

 berg, are the produce of the earlier expanded flowers, which have probably always 

 3 styles and as many angles to the germen. 



4. P. Hydropipei; L. Siting Persicaria. " Stamens 6, styles 

 2 nearly distinct, spikes lax filiform at first drooping, peduncles 

 smooth, perianth glandular, achene lenticular compressed dotted 

 opaque, leayes lanceolate waved, stipules mostly with scattered 

 glands mostly fringed."— Br-. Fl. p. 357. E. B. t. 989. 



In moist places by roadsides, on ditchbanks and in wet meadows ; abundantly. 

 Fl. August, September. Fr. September, October. 0. 



5. P. minus, Hud. Small Sweet Persicaria. " Stamens 6, 

 styles 2 combined to above the middle, spikes slender lax erect, 

 peduncles smooth, perianth without glands, achene lenticular- 

 compressed smooth and shining, leaves linear-lanceolate plane 

 very shortly petiolate, stipules ciliated without glands." — Br. Fl. 

 p. 357. .E. jB. t. 1043. Fl. Dan. xiii. i. 2280. Curt. Fl. Land. 

 (admirable). 



i^/. August, September. i^V. September, October. ©. 



E. Med. — Marshes at Sandown, Miss Lovell, in whose herbarium is an indu- 

 bitable specimen marked P. Hydropiper. In very great profusion in the little 

 drains intersecting the meadows on Sandown level, betwixt the high road from 

 Ryde and Brading to Ventnor, and Lake and Blackpan commons, extending up 

 the valley in front of the latter, and growing intermixed with P. Hydropiper. I 

 was conducted to the spot by Miss Lovell, Sept. 1847. 



Root annual, of many long, whitish, simple, slender fibres. Stem one or more 

 from the same root, often numerous, from a foot or less to 18 or 20 inches in 

 length, sometimes ascending or nearly erect, more commonly procumbent and 

 rooting below at the joints, sometimes quite prostrate, simple or variously and 

 often very copiously branched, round, slender, very smooth and glabrous, usually 

 tinged with red, sometimes with the leaves, when growing in comparatively dry 

 open places, all over of a deep purple colour, enlarged above each joint. Leaves 

 alternate, very shortly stalked, almost sessile, narrowly elongato-lanceolate or sub- 

 linear, acute, scarcely attenuated at base, but rather rounded at the top of the 

 very short and broad petiole, widely spreading, horizontal or partly deflexed, the 

 larger ones about 2 — 3 inches in length and about half an inch in breadth, bright 



Polygonum mite. — A solitary specimen of this very apocryphal species was 

 picked by the Rev. G.E. Smith, Sept. 1838, in a lane between Apley and St. 

 John's, near Kyde !! I have not succeeded in finding it there since, but have rea- 

 son to believe that it grows intermixed with P. Persicaria and P. minus in the 

 marshes of Sandown level. 



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