252 OCTAXDRIA TR1GYNIA 



lobed at base, lobe a acuminate, upper surface sparsely pilose, minutely pubescent 

 beneath, midrib ami nerves hirsute; petioles half an Inch to 3 inches long, sulcata- 

 anglcd, retrorsely aculoato. Stipules ovate, amplexicaul, ciliate, smoothish, or 

 aomctimes hirsute. Flowers in slender loose racemose clusters; bracts hirsute; 

 common peduncles glandular-hispid. Perianth mostly 1-parted, purple, the mar- 

 gins of the segments pale red. Stamens ft. Styles 2. Seed subcomprcssed, len- 

 ticular-ovate, smooth, brown, 



llab. Swampy low grounds, along rivulets: common. FL August. Fr. Septeml>er. 



i 

 Obs. This and the preceding commonly grow together, forming large entangled 



bunches ; and are a couple of worthless and often troublesome plauts, in swampy 



meadows. 



# * Stem not aculeate. 



13. P. scAXDF.xs, /,. Stem volubilc, subteretc, smooth ; leaves broad- 

 ish-cordatc, acuminate ; flowers rather large, in erect axillary racemes; 

 perianth-segments winged ; wings decurrent on the pedicels. Beck, 

 Hot. p. 303. 



Climbing Polygonum. Vulgo — American climbing Buckwheat. 



Root annual. Stem 8 to 10 or 12 feet long, twining and climbing, branching, 

 subtcrete, or obscurely angular, smoothish, often purple. Leaves 2 to 3 inches 

 long, and an inch and half to 2 and a half inches wide, the nerves and margins 

 somewhat scabrous; petioles 1 to 2 inches long, sulcate-am/hMl, roughish. Stymies 

 short, smooth, nerved, somewhat toothed at summit. Flowers fasciculate, in long 

 axillary interrupted racemes ; pedicels slender, articulated below the middle. 

 Perianth greenish; segments edged with white, sometimes tinged with purple,— 

 when in fruit 3 of them conspicuously winged on the keel, over the angles of the 

 seed, with the wings decurrent on the pedicel nearly to the articulation. Seed 

 unequally triquetrous, rathor acuto at each cud, smooth and shining, purplish 

 black when mature. 



Hob. Moist thickets, twining round bushes, &c. frequent* Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept.— Oct. 



14. P. Convolvulus, L. Stem volubile, striate-angled, somewhat 

 scabrous ; leaves oblong, subhastatc-cordate, acuminate ; flowers in slen- 

 der terminal and axillary racemes; perianth-segments keeled, without 

 wings. Becky Bot. p. 303. 



Bijtd-wkxi) Polygonum. Vulgo — Wild Buckwheat. Black Bindweed. 

 Root annual. iStem2or3 to 6 feet long, procumbent, or twining round other 

 plants, branching, sulcate-striate, minutely scabrous on the ridges. Leaves I to 

 2 or 2 and a half inches long, and half an inch to an Inch and half wide, the lobes 

 at base often a little spreading, or somewhat hastate. Stipules smoothish, nerved. 

 Flmcers smaller than in the preceding, in slender interrupted leafy racemes ; 

 pedicels slender, shorter than in the preceding, articulated rather above the mid- 

 die. Perianth rough ishpuberulent, green ; segments edged with white, or tinged 

 with purple, keeled, sometimes slightly winged, but generally without wings. 

 Seed nearly equally triquetrous, roughish-punctate, purplish black when mature. 



Hob. Cultivated grounds, wheat fields, &c. frequent* FL July. Fr . September. 



Obs. This is an introduced plant, and has much general resemblance to the 

 preceding ; but the two species may be readily distinguished by the perianth. 



15. P. Fagopyrum,L. Stem erect, paniculately branching t wlcate- 

 angled, smoothish j leave* cordate-sagittate, acvte ; racemes terminal 





