274 
67. POLYGONACE^. 
St. long when floating. Spikes generally solitary and terminal. 
FI. rose-coloured, ^'ery variable in the form of its leaves ae- 
corihng to its habitation. — Floating or growing uj)on mud or on 
boggy ground. P. VII. VIII. 
4. P. lapathifolium (L.) ; spikes oblong eylindrical dense, 1. 
oblong-laneeolate or ovate attenuated at both ends glandular’ 
beneath, ochrea narrow not fringed the upper ones shortly fringed, 
peduncles and perianth glandular-scabrous, nut compressed its 
faees roundish acuminate both hollowed smooth shining scarcely 
covered hy the perianth, styles distinct at length divergent and 
reflexed, stam. 8. — E. B. 1382. — a. pallidum; 1. all oblong-lan- 
ceolate w'avy, spikes axillary or terminal solitai'V', bracts auricled 
glandular, joints of the st. scarcely thickened. P. lapathifolium 
R. I. f. 688. P. pallidum With., Fries. — nodosum; lower 
1. ovate or elliptical even, spikes usually 2 together, bracts auri- 
cled glabrous, joints of the st. tumid. P. nodosum R. I. f. 689, 
Fries. — The vai’ieties appear to be quite connected by interme- 
diate forms. According to Fries, var. a. has the veins of its pe- 
rianth arcuated and recmwed at the end, and var. jS. has them 
branched and converging at the end, but I have not been able to 
examine this character sufficiently to give an opinion upon it. 
Height 1 — 2 feet. FI. pale. St. sometimes spotted and 1. hoai'y. 
— Waste and damp places. A. VII. VIII. 
5. P. laxum (R.); spikes elongated slender, 1. lanceolate much 
attenuated at both ends wavy glandular beneath, ochrece lax 
shortly fringed the floral ones horned, ped. and perianths glan- 
dular-scabrous, nut compressed its faces rounthsh acuminate both 
hollowed shining a quarter shorter than the perianth, styles con- 
nected below at length lUvergent and reflexed. — E. B. S. 2822. 
R. I. f. 685. — Smaller than the preceding. St. often prosti’ate. 
S])ikes slender and inteiTupted (the tyqncal form) ; or spikes 
thicker and continuous (represented in E. B. S.), and 1. white and 
woolly beneath.' — Damp gravelly places. A. VII. — X. E. 
6. P. Persicaria {h.) ; spikes compact ovate-oblong cylindri- 
cal, 1. lanceolate plane minutely tubercled, ochrea lax strongly 
f ringed, ped. and perianths smooth, nut compressed and gibbous 
on one side or trigonous ; faces rounffish acuminate smooth 
scarcely covered hy the perianth, styles connected half-way up at 
length patent. — E. B. 756. — St. 1 — 2 feet high. L. more or less 
covered with hau’s on both sides, sometimes woolly on the under 
side when it is P. incanum of authors. Ped. sometimes shghtly 
hairy, never glandular. — Waste and damj) ground. A. VI. — X. 
7. P. mite (Schrank) ; spikes erect Aliform interrupted, 1. lan- 
ceolate slightly wa\"y, ochrea lax funnelshaped jrilose strongly 
fringed without glands, perianths without glands, nut (large) 
compressed its faces roughish ovate acute rather shinmg convex. 
