POLYGONUM 



BHUBABB OBDEB 



POLYGONUM 769 



slender stems arising from the creeping, 

 twisted, and somewhat tuberous rootstooks. 

 Leaves oblong ovate, wavy, sea-green 

 beneath, 3-6 in. long, with winged stalks. 

 The white or pink flowers, with protrud- 

 ing stamens, are borne in dense cylin- 

 drical racemes from June to September, 

 and are very attractive. 



Culture and Propagation. — Although 

 common enough as a native plant, this 

 species is not without merit for furnishing 

 moist parts of the rockery and border 

 among the less choice kind of plants. 

 When grown in bold masses in the rock 

 garden or flower border it is very hand- 

 some and attractive. It may be easily 

 increased by division of rootstocks in early 

 autumn or spring. 



P. capitatum. —A pretty little North 

 Indian annual with ovate or elliptic 

 leaves 2 in. long, green marked with 

 dark crescent-shaped bands from the 

 middle to the base. Flowers pink, small, 

 in dense round heads on long stalks from 

 the axils of the upper leaves. 



Culture So. as above. This species 

 has slender hairy stems which root at the 

 joints, and the plant may be increased by 

 this means year after year. 



P. compactutn is closely related to P. 

 cuspidatum, and is probably only a dwarf 

 variety of it. It grows 2-4 ft. high, and 

 is denser and more compact in habit, with 

 conspicuous I'ed stems and leaf-stalks. 

 The broadly heart-shaped ovate leaves 

 are of a darker green and somewhat 

 crimped, and the white flowers are borne 

 in erect racemes in summer. 



Culture do. as above. Increased by 

 division. 



P. cuspidatum (P. Sieboldi). — A bold 

 and handsome Japanese perermial 4-10 ft. 

 high, with creepingroota andround arching 

 stems, striped and tinged with purple-red. 

 Leaves stalked, broadly oval oblong 

 acute, and tapering at the apex. Flowers 

 in summer, creamy white, in feathery 

 panicles 4-6 in. long, drooping from the 

 axUs of the leaves. 



Culture and Propagation. — This fine 

 plant has the misfortune to make itself 

 a nuisance when planted in borders 

 or shrubberies. Its rootstocks creep 

 beneath the surface for some distance, 

 and throw up new plants at every point, 

 and the more they are chopped up the 



more they grow, unless completely eradi- 

 cated. In a bed on grass by itself where 

 the roots can be kept within bounds this 

 species is most ornamental. 



P. cymosum. — A very distinct and 

 handsome Chinese species with peltate 

 leaves shaped almost like an equilateral 

 triangle, silvery white beneath, green 

 above, with a purple mark showing the 

 junction of the blade and stalk. Stems 

 green and purple, glaucous, about 2 ft. 

 high. Flowers in July and August, 

 white, thrown well above the foliage. 



Culture So. as above. A handsome 

 plant for the front of borders or shrub- 

 beries in light soil and open sunny situa- 

 tions. Increased by division. 



P. dumetorum. — A British climber with 

 angled stems and heart-shaped sagittate 

 Convolvulus-hke leaves, and masses of 

 white flowers in July and August. 



Culture £c. as above for P. bald- 

 achuanicum. 



P. filiforrae variegatum. — A beautiful 

 Japanese perennial 18-24 in. high, with 

 purplish stems, and oval slightly wrinkled 

 leaves 3-4 in. long, variegated with 

 creamy yellow blotches and streaks. 



Culture da. as above. Very effective, 

 in masses. Increased by division. 



P. lanigerum. — A pretty herbaceous 

 perennial 6-10 ft. high, native of the 

 warmer parts of the Old World. It has 

 lance-shaped wavy leaves covered with a 

 silvery white down, and produces carna- 

 tion-red flowers in clustered spikes. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 little - known species is probably too 

 tender to stand the winter without pro- 

 tection of the crowns by means of dry 

 leaves, litter &c. It may be increased 

 by division in spring. 



P. raultiflorum. — A pretty climbing or 

 trailing perennial, native of North China 

 and Japan. It has tuberous roots and 

 slender reddish stems, the latter being 

 furnished with smooth shining thickish 

 leaves about 4 in. long, heart-shaped 

 ovate acute in outline, with bright red 

 stalks and a truncate stipule or ocrea at 

 the base. The small whitish flowers are 

 produced in summer in loose spreading 

 panicles, which give a graceful appearance 

 to the plant. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 may be used for trailing over low fences, 



3d 



