670 



POLYGONACEAE. 



Vol. I. 



13. Persicaria Hydropiper (L.) Opiz. Smart-weed. Water Pepper. Fig. 1642. 



Polygonum Hydropiper L. Sp. PI. 361. 1753. 

 Persicaria Hydropiper Opiz, Seznam 72. 1852. 



Annual, glabrous, stem erect, simple or branched, 

 red or reddish, sometimes green, 8'-24' tall. Leaves 

 lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 1/-4' long, short- 

 petioled, acute or acuminate at the apex, undulate or 

 slightly crisped, punctate, ciliate, very acrid; ocreae 

 cylindric, fringed with short bristles, sometimes 

 slightly pubescent, usually swollen at the base by the 

 development of several flowers within; racemes 

 panicled, i'-3' long, narrow, drooping, interrupted ; 

 calyx green, 3-5-parted (usually 4-parted) con- 

 spicuously punctate; stamens 4 or sometimes 6; 

 style short, 2-3-parted ; achene lenticular or 3-angled, 

 broadly oblong or ovoid, slightly gibbous, ii"-ii" 

 long, granular, dull. 



In moist waste places, almost throughout North Amer- 

 ica. Naturalized from Europe in our area, perhaps in- 

 digenous in the far Northwest. Biting-persicaria or 

 -knotweed. Bite-tongue. Snake- or sickle-weed. Pep- 

 per-plant. Red-shanks. Red-knees. July— Sept. 



14. Persicaria punctata (Ell.) Small. Dotted or Water Smart-weed. Fig. 1643. 



P. punctatum Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1 : 455. 1817. 

 P. acre H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 2 : 179. 1817. Not Lam. 

 Persicaria punctata Small, Fl. SE. U. S. 379. 1903. 

 Polygonum punctatum leptostachyum (Meisn.) Small, 



Bull. Torr. Club 19 : 356. 1892. 

 Polygonum acre var. leptostachyum Meisn. in DC. Prodr. 



14: 108. 1856. 



Annual or perennial, glabrous or very nearly so, 

 stem erect or ascending, rarely prostrate, simple or 

 branched, i°-3° long. Leaves linear-lanceolate to 

 oblong-lanceolate, 1-8' long, acuminate at both ends, 

 petioled, ciliate, conspicuously punctate, acrid, the 

 midrib often with a few scattered hairs ; ocreae 

 cylindric ; falling away at maturity ; fringed with long 

 bristles; racemes terminal, narrow, erect or slightly 

 drooping; loosely flowered, ¥-3' long; calyx green- 

 ish; stamens 8; style 2-3-parted to the base; achene 

 oblong, short, thick, lenticular or 3-angled, i"-ij" 

 long, smooth, shining. 



In swamps and wet places, throughout North America 

 except the extreme north. Also in the West Indies. 

 Turkey-troop. Water-pepper. June-Oct. 



Persicaria robustior (Small) Bicknell (Polygonum punctatum robustius Small) seems to be 

 only a stout form of the above species with somewhat larger flowers and fruits. 



15. Persicaria orientalis (L.) Spach. 

 Prince's Feather. Fig. 1644. 



Polygonum orientate L. Sp. PI. 362. 1753. 



Persicaria orientalis Spach, Hist. Nat. Veg. 10 : 535- 1841. 



Annual, more or less hispid, stem erect, i°-8° tall, 

 branched. Leaves ovate or broadly oblong, 3'-i2' 

 long, petioled, acuminate at the apex, ciliate; peti- 

 oles slightly winged; ocreae cylindric, loose, with or 

 without a spreading border, ciliate ; racemes panicled, 

 oblong-cylindric, 1-4' long, dense, drooping; flowers 

 large for the genus; calyx dark rose-color or crim- 

 son ; stamens 7, exserted ; style 2-cleff to above the 

 middle, included; stigmas large; achene orbicular or 

 broader than long, lenticular, flat, nearly ii" in 

 diameter, finely reticulated and rather dull. 



In waste places, escaped from gardens throughout 

 eastern North America. Native of India. Ragged-sailor. 

 Gentleman's-cane. Aug.-Sept. 



