PLANT FAMILIES: POLYGONIFLOR^. 



267 



POLYGONIFLOR/E. 



516. Buckwheat family (polygonaceee). — Besides the common buckwheat, 

 from which this 

 family gets i t s 

 name, the k n o t - 

 weeds are good 

 representatives. 

 Fig. 348 is of the 

 arrow-leaved knot- 

 weed, or arrow- 

 leaved tear-thumb, 

 so called because 

 of the arrow-shaped 

 leaves and from the 

 prominent recurved 

 prickles on the four- 

 angled stem. The 

 plant occurs in low 

 grounds often i n 

 large clumps, and 

 the slender branch- 

 ed stem is support- 

 ed to some extent by 

 neighboring plants. 

 The flowers are in 



Fig. 348. 

 Polygonum sagittatum, 

 of plant. 



portion 



Fig. 349- 

 Spring beauty (Claytonia virginiana). 



