250 OCTANDRIA TRIGYNIA 



short petioles, roughish-punctate, the midrib and margins scabrous with short ap- 

 pressed hairs, the upper surface often marked with a dark-colored lunate or sub- 

 cordate spot. Stipules tubular, hairy, truncate, fringed wilh bristled about 1 third 

 the length of the tube. Spikes about an inch long, on smooth peduncles. Flowers 

 on short pedicels; fascicles crowded. Perianth purple, often bright crimson, 

 smooth. Stamens 6. Styles 2, united at base. Seed mostly compressed, ovate 

 (sometimes triquetrous), with a short acuminalion, mucronate by the persistent 

 base of the styles, black, smooth and shining. 



Hub. Waste places; roadsides, &c. frequent. Fl. August. Fr. Sept.— October. 

 Obs. This appears to be a naturalized foreigner. 



8. P. Pexxsylvaxicum, Jj. Leaves lanceolate, with smooth naked 

 stipules; spikes terminal and axillary, oblong, on glandular-hispid 

 peduncles; styles 2. Becky But. p. 302. 



Pennsylvania:* Polygonum. 



Root annual. Stem 2 to 3 or 4 feet high, smooth below, geniculate, with tumid 

 joints f paniculately branched above, branches glandular-hispid. Leaves 3 to 6 

 inches long, and an inch to an inch and half wide, potiolate, roughish-punctate 

 beneath, the midrib nerves and margins scabrous with short appressed hairs. 

 Stipules tubular, smooth, scarious, truncate, not fringed. Spikes numerous, 1 to 2 

 inches long, large, and often somewhat nodding on the glandular-hispid peduncles. 

 Flotcers in crowded fascicles, on pedicels rather longer than the smoothish sheath- 

 ing bracts. Perianth bright palish purple, large, smooth. Stamens often 6. Styles 

 2, united at base. Seed compressed, orbicular-ovate, beaked by the persistent 

 base of the styles, purplish black, minutely puncticulate under a lens. 



Hab. Moist low grounds; roadsides: common. Fl. July— Aug. Fr. Sept.— Oct. 



Obs. This is usually of a larger growth than the preceding, and is readily dis- 

 tinguished by its hispid peduncles. 



9. P. amphibicm, L. var. terrestre, Torr ? Stem nearly erect ; leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, obtuse and sometimes a little cordate at 

 base, petiolate, with the lower stipules smooth ; spikes terminal, cylin- 

 dric, dense-flowered, on glandular-hispid peduncles ; flowers pentand- 

 rous ; styles 2. Beck, Bot. p. 301. 



P. amphibium, var. emersum. JMx. Am. \. p. 240. 

 P. coccineum. Muhl. Catul.pAO. Nutt. Gen. I. p. 255. Bart. Phil. 

 ]./>. 188, Not of Bigel. nor Eat. var. terrestre. Pursh,Am. I. p. 271. 

 Amphibious Polygonum, 



Root perennial, creeping. Stem 12 to 18 inches long, stout, striate, smooth be- 

 low, hirsute near the summit, decumbent at base, joints tumid, radicating at the 

 lower ones. Leaves 4 to 6 inches long, and 1 to 2 inches wide, sometimes ovate- 

 1 mceolate, the midrib nerves and margins scabrous with short appressed hairs, 

 which are dilated at base ; the upper leaves subsessile, the lower ones petiolate. 

 Stipules tubular, truncate, the lower ones smooth and naked, the upper ones hir- 

 sute. Spikes few (1,2 or 3), 2 to 3 inches long, cylindrical, rather slender, on 

 <rlandular-hispid peduncles. Flowers crowded, on pedicels shorter than the hir- 

 sute sheathing bracts. Perianth bright purple / segments obtuse, spreading. 

 Stamens b. Styles 2, slender, longer than the perianth, united at base ; stigmas 

 capitate. Seed compressed, ovate. 



Hob. Margin of the Schuylkill, at Black Rock : rare. Fl. Aug.— Sept. Fr. Oct. 



