Polygonum aviculare. Birds Polygonum or 



Knot. Grass. 



POLYGONUM Linnai Gen PL Octandria Trigynia* 



CaL o. Cor, ^-partita, Calyclna» Sent. 1. dngulatum. 



Rail Syn* Gen. 5. Herbje flore imperfecto seu stamineo. (vel apetala pot rus.) 

 POLYGONUM avlcuiare floribus octandris trigynis axillaribus, foliis lanceolatis, caule procumbent^. 



herbaceo. Linn. Syf. Vegctab. p. 312. Sp. PL 519. FL Sueclc. n. 339. 

 POLYGONUM procumbens, foliis linearibus, acutis, floribus folitariis. Haller h'lfl, m 1560. 

 • POLYGONUM aviculare. Scopoll FL Carnlol n. 471. 

 POLYGONUM mas vulgare. Gerard emac. 451. 

 POLYGONUM mas vulgare majus. Parkinfon 443. 

 POLYGONUM feu Centinodia. /. Bauhin 3. 374. Rail Syn. p. 146. Hudfon FL Angl. p. 149. 



RADIX annua, fimplex, lignofa, multis fibris donata, 

 terram firmiter apprehendensut extirpatu diffi- 

 cilis fit, fapore adftringente. 



CAULES plures, plerumque procumbentes, interdum 

 vero fuberectl, dodrantales, ramofi, tenues, 

 ftriati, lasves, teretes, geniculati, ad geniculos 

 paululum incraflati. 



FOLIA quam maxime variantia, ovata, lanceolara aut 

 etiam linearia, alterna, lasvia, e vaginis ftipu- 

 larum prodeuntia. 



STIPUL/E vaginantes, membranaceae, albidse, nitidas, | 

 apice fibrofas. $ 



% 



FLORES axillares, e vaginis ftipularum cum foliis I 



prodeuntia. % 



% 



CALYX : Perianthium quinquepartitum, laciniis o- | 



vatis concavis, patentibus, dimidio inferiore % 



viridi, fuperiore albo, faepe colorato, fg. 1, 2. I 



% 



% 



COROLLA nulla. ! 



ROOT annual, fimple, woody, furnifhed with many 

 fibres, taking ftrong hold of the earth, fo as to 

 be with difficulty pulled up, and of an aftrin- 

 gent tafte. 



STALKS feveral, generally procumbent, fometimes 

 nearly upright, about nine inches in length, 

 branched, {lender, ftriated, fmooth, round, 

 jointed, the joints a little fwelled. 



LEAVES varying exceedingly, oval, lanceolate, or 

 fometimes even linear, alternate, fmooth, 

 proceeding from the fheaths of the Stipuke. 



STIPULiE forming a fheath round the joints, mem- 

 branous, white, mining, at top fibrous. 



FLOWERS axillary, proceeding with the leaves from 

 the fheaths of the Stipulae. 



CALYX : a Perianthium divided into five fegments, 

 the laciniae oval, concave and fpreading, the 

 lower half green, the upper half white and 

 often coloured, fg. 1, 2. 



COROLLA wanting. 



STAMINA: Filamenta octo corolla breviora ; An- I STAMINA : eight Filaments morter than the Corolla, 



THERiE flavae, fg. 2, audi. % Anthers yellow, fg. 2, magnified. 



* 



PISTILLUM : Germen triquetrum; Stylus longi- f PISTILLUM : Germen triangular ; Style the length 



tudine ftaminum, trifidus; Stigmata tria, t of the Stamina, trifld ; Stigmata three, round, 



rotunda, fg. 3, audi:. 



fg. 3, magnified. 



SEMEN triquetrum, nigricans, intra calycem, fig. 4. | SEED triangular, of a blackifh colour, contained with- 



| in the Calyx, fig. 4. 



Thofe plants which have been obferved to be eaten by cattle, have often obtained the name of Grafs, al- 

 though they have not poflefied the leaft fimilitude to thofe which are real Grades, and the prefent plant is one 

 of thefe. Cattle in general are fond of it, and hogs in particular eat it with great avidity. The feeds afford 

 fuftenance to many of the fmall birds, whence it has acquired the name of aviculare. The Caterpillar of the *Phalama 

 rumlcls (with us the Knot-grafs Moth,) I have frequently found feeding on its leaves, although it is by no means 

 confined to this plant : in Sweden, Linnaeus informs us it feeds on the Dock (Rumex,) and Sow-fhlfk. 



This fpecies of Polygonum may be confidered as one of our moft common plants; it delights to grow in a 

 fandy or gravelly foil, on banks, and by the fides of roads and paths, being of quick growth, and fpreading 

 a great deal of ground ; it often covers whole fields, that by turning in of cattle, have had their natural coar. 

 of grafs deftroyed. 



Where a plant of this fpecies happens to grow fingly in a rich foil, it will often cover the fpace of a yard 

 or more in diameter, and the leaves become broad, and large ; but when it grows very thick together, by the 

 fides of paths, it is in every refpedt fmaller, and the ftalks are more upright. It is fubjedr., like moft other 

 plants, to feveral varieties, and of thefe are the Polygonum brevl anguftoque folio, and the Polygonum oblongo angiiflo- 

 que folio of C. Bauhine. 



It has been confidered by antient writers, as poflefling fome medical virtue, particularly as an Aftringent, 

 and is by them recommended in Diarrhaeas, Dyfenteries, Bleeding at the nofe, and other Hemorrhages ; but in 

 the prefent practice, its ufe feems juftly fuperfeded by more efficacious medicines. 



*Vii> Dan, Faun. Sued?, p. $18, », 1200, Roefel, gl, z, Pap. AW?, t. 27. Albinlnfttt. pit 22, 



