POLYGON ACE AE (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY) 



153 



appriessed, and unchanged in fruit. Stamens 6. 

 orbicular-wing^d; 



Stigmas 2, tufted. Aisbene 



with 



1. Ozyria digyna (L.) Oamptdera, Rumex, pi. 3, fig. 3. 1819. Rather 

 stout and fleshy, 8-40 cm. high, glabrous: flowers in scarious-bracted ^asciples, 

 on short capillaiy pedicels: sepab often reddish, the outer carinate and darker 

 than the inner. — ^At high altitudes in cold wet places among rocks throughout 

 the nofthem hemisphere. 



3. RUMEX L. Dock. Sorrel 



Coarse perennial herbs: stems leafy, with obliquely truncate cylindrical 

 naked sheaths. Flowers small, fascicled or verticilmte in paniculate racemes, 

 perfect, polygamous, or dioecious, without involucre. Sepals 6; the outer 

 spreading; the inner somewhat colored and developing reticulate wings. 

 Stamens 6. Stigmas 3, peltate, tufted. The foUage m some species is dis- 

 tinctly acid. 



Flowers dio^ciouB; inflorescence slender and leafless. 

 Inner sepals becoming winged; achene granular 

 Inner sepals not winged; acnene smooth .... 

 Flowers perfect or polygamo-monoeclous; inflorescence 



stouter often leafy branches. 

 "Buler perianth-segments (valves) very large (10-30 """ , 

 broad), usually ros&tcolored. 

 Perennial from rootstocks ..,.,.,, 

 Perennial from large dtistered tuber-like roots. 



Fruiting valves cordate-reniform 



■ Fruiting valves ovate-cordate ...... 



.Inner perianth-segments (valves) medium size (less than 10 

 ■ mm.), green or rose-color. 



One or more of the valves bearing a callosity or tubercle on the 

 back. 

 Wings entire, not toothed or fringed. 

 Leaves flat, entire or merely undulate-margined. 

 Steins tiuted . . , 



Stems single .... 



Leaves decidedly crisped on the msrgiii. 

 Tubercles 3 . i . 



' 'Tiibefolel .... 



Wings toothed or fringed. 

 Lower leaves cordate at base . . 

 Lower leaves narrowed at base . 

 Valves without tubercles. 

 Perennial from horizontal rootstooks 

 Perennial from vertical roots. 

 Roots . several, fascicled, fleshy . 

 Boot'siDglif . . . . 



1. R. Aeetosella. 



2. R. paucifolius. 



3. R. Taiiosus. 



4. R. BBlinus, 



5. R. hymenosepalui. 



0. R. mezicanus. 

 7. R. brittanica. 



8. R. crispus. 



9. R. Patientia. 



10. R. obtusifolius. 



11. R. persicarioides. 



12. R. densiflorus. 



13. R. pol^rrrhizus. 



14. R occidentalis. 



1. Rtunez Aeetosella L:Sp. PL 338. 1753. Dioecious, 1-3 dm. high: leaves 

 small, rarely 5 cm. long; the lower mostly hastate; with a large decurrent 

 auricle on each side; the upper gradually reduced and entire: panicle more or 

 less compound, usually reddish,' the filiform ascending branches leafless: 

 pedicels capillary, once or twice as long as the flower, articulated at summit; 

 flowers aibout 1.5 mm. long, the outer sepals granular. — Naturalized from 

 Eilrbpe; not infrequent as a weed. Known as Field or Sheep Sorbel. 



2. Rvimex paucifolius Nutt. Wats. King's Rep. 314. 1871. Somewhat 

 tufted, 2-4 dm. high: leaves linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, attenuate to 

 a slender' 'pfetiole: inflorescence with suberect branches: flowers reddish, in 

 loose fascicles; pedicels filiform, jointed near the base: valves about 4 mm. in 

 diameter, sometimes with a minute basal tubercle: achene small. [R. Geyeri 

 (Meis.) Trel. Rep. Mo. Bot. Gard. 3: 78. 1892.] — Mountain parks; Colorado 

 and Utah and far northward. 



3. Rumez venosus Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 733. 1814. Stem erect, 3 dm. 

 high or less, from' running rootstocks, stout and leafy, with conspicuous di- 

 lated stipules: lealves on short but rather slender petioles, ovate or oblong to 

 lanceolate, 8-15 cm. long, only the lowest acute or somewhat cordate at base: 

 panicle nearly sessile, short, dense in fruit: valves entire, cordate-orbicular 



