Polygonum Bistorta. The greater Bistort or 



Snake-weed, f 



POLYGONUM VmnmGen. PL Octandria trigynia. 



Raii Synopfis, Genus quintum. Herbje flore imperfecto seu stamineo, (vel apetalo 



POTIUS.) 



POLYGONUM Biftorta caule fimpliciffimo, monoftachyo, foliis ovatis in petiolum decurrentibus. Linnai 



Syji. Vegeiab. p. 311. 

 POLYGONUM radice lignofa contorta, fpica ovata, foliorum petiolis alatis. Haller. Hifl. v. 2. 258. 

 COLUBRINA Sen Serpentaria fcemina. Fufchii icon. 774. 

 SERPENT ARIA mas five Biftorta. Fufchii icon. 773. 

 BISTORTA major radice minus intorta. Bauhin. Pin. 192. 

 BISTORTA major radice magis intorta. Bauhin. Pin. 192. 



BISTORTA major Gerard ' emac 399. major vulgaris Parkinfon 391. Raii Synopfs 147. Hudfon. Fl. Angl 

 146. Flor. Dan. Ic. 421. 



RADIX perennis, craffitie digiti, plus minufve in- | ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of one's finger, more or 

 torta externe caftanea, interne carnea, fibris | lefs crooked, externally of a cheinut, internally 



et ftolonibus plurimis inftructa. % of aflefli colour, furnifhed with numerous fibres 



I and creepers. 



CAULIS pedalis aut bipedalis, fimplex, fuberectus, fo- | STALK from one to two feet high, fimple, nearly upright, 

 lidus, articulatus, (geniculi tumidi) teres, laevis. ? folid, jointed, (the joints fwelled,) round and 



I fmooth. 



STIPULE vaginantes, apice membranacse, marcefcentes, | STIPULE enclofing the Stalk as in a fheath, at top 



ore obliquo. $ membranous, withered, the mouth oblique. 



FOLIA cordato-lanceolata, undulata, fubtus caerulefcen- | LEAVES : _ the bottom leaves fomewhat heart fhaped and 

 tia, glabra, inferiora in petiolos decurrentia, fu- % pointed ; waved at the edges, fmooth, under- 



periora amplexicaulia in ftipulas defmentia. | neath blueifh and continued down the footftalks, 



I the upper leaves embracing the ftalk, and ter- 



% minating in the ftipulae. 



FLORES fpicati, fpica oblongo-ovata, denfa. | FLOWERS growing thickly in a fpike, the fpike of 



% an oblong oval fhape. 



BRACTE/E membranaceae, marcefcentes, biflores, bi- | FLORAL LEAVES membranous, and withered, con- 

 valves, valvula inferiore tricufpidata cufpide | taining two flowers and having two valves, the 

 medio longiore quaii ariftata, flores pedicellati, % lower valve three pointed, the middle point 

 pedicellis calyce longioribus. I running out into a kind of arifta or beard, the 



% flowers growing on footftalks which are longer 



I than the Calyx. 



CALYX ' live COROLLA fubovata, quinquepartita, | CALYX or COROLLA, of an oval fhape and flefh 

 carnea, laciniis ovatis, obtufis, concavis. fig. 1.3.? coloured, divided into five fegements, which are 



I oval, obtufe, and concave, fig. 1. 3. 



STAMINA: Filamenta o£to, fubulata, alba, corolla | STAMINA : eight Filaments, tapering, white, and 

 longiora, Antherte biloculares, purpurafcentes, % longer than the Calyx ; the Antherje bilocu- 



incumbentes. fig. 2. | lar, purplifh, and laying acrofs the filaments. 



? fig- 2 - 



PISTILLUM: Germen triquetrum, fangumeum, Styli | PISTILLUM the Germen three fquare, of a deep 



tres longkudine ftaminum ; Stigmata parva, | red colour, three Styles the length of the 



rotunda. fig. 5. 6. 7. f Stamina; the Stigmata fmall and round. 



I fig- 5- 6- 7- 



NECTARIUM. glanduhe rubrae in fundo calycis, fig. 4. | NECTARIUM : feveral fmall red glands in the bot- 



t torn of the Calyx, fig. 4. 



SEMEN triquetrum, fufcum, mucronatum, nitens, ver- | SEED : triangular, brown, pointed, and mining as It 

 nice quafi obducturn. fig. 8* | varnifhed. fig. 8. 



WHEN a Plant not intended to be cultivated, in any refpecl prevents the growth of one which is the objecl of 

 Cultivation, fuch a plant, however beautiful, may with propriety be called a Weed ;' nor will the elegance or utility 

 of the Biftort, fecure it in the eftimation of the Farmer, from that appellation. 



This Plant generally grows in moift Meadows, and flowers in May and June ; when it has once taken root, it 

 propagates very faft, and frequently will form large patches, to the exclufion of a confiderable portion of the Grafs ; 

 nor is it deftroyed but with the greateft difficulty. Happily, our Farmers about Town are pretty much ftrangers to 

 this Plant, as it is met with but rarely. It grows plentifully in a Meadow by the fide of Bfijop'sstFbod near Hamjfiead y 

 and my obliging Friend Dr. Allen informs me he has found it about Batterfea. 



As an aftringent Medicine, the Biftort appears to poflefs confiderable virtue, and as fuch may with propriety be 

 made ufeof in all cafes where aftringents are required ; but more particularly in long continued evacuations from the 

 Bowels, and other difcharges both ferous and fanguineous. It is recommended alfo to faften teeth which are loofe, and 

 may be ufed either in powder, infufion, or extract. If it could be procured in fufficient quantity to make it anfwer, 

 it might well be applied to the purpofe of tanning Leather. 



In fome parts of England the leaves are eat as a Pot-herb-, 



