( 5 .) 
POLY'GONUM* * 
Linnean Class and Order. Octa'ndria, Trigy'nia. 
Natural Order. Polygo'nea:. Juss. — Lindl. Syn. p. 209; 
Introd. to Nat. Syst. p. 169. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 424. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) monosepalous (of one sepal or leaf), 
inferior, turbinate (top-shaped), more or less coloured, permanent, 
deeply divided into 5 egg-shaped, blunt, segments. Corolla none. 
Filaments from 5 to 8, awl-shaped. Anthers roundish, incumbent 
(fixed to the side of the filament). Germen (fig. 2.) superior, 
roundish, either triangular or compressed. Styles generally 3, in 
those with compressed Germens only 2, thread-shaped, in some 
species partly combined. Stigmas sessile. Seed-vessel none, ex- 
cept the closed calyx or perianthium. Seed (fig. 3.) solitary, either 
triangular or compressed, pointed. Embryo ( corculum, or little 
heart ) enveloped in a farinaceous albumen or endosperm. (See 
Viola Canina, p. 4.) 
The single, inferior, coloured, 5-parted perianthium , and solitary 
naked seed, will distinguish this genus from others in the same class. 
Ten species British. 
POLY'GONUM BISTOR'TAf. Great Bistort, or Snake-weed. 
Spec. Char. Stem simple, bearing one spike of flowers. Leaves 
egg-shaped, wavy, running down into the footstalks. 
Kngl. Hot. t. 509. — Curt. FI. I.ond. t. 22. — \Voodv. Med. Bot. v. i. p. 100. 
t.34. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 168. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p.427. Kngl. 
FI. v. ii. p. 236 . — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p.497. — Lindl. Syn. p. 212. — lfook. 
Brit. FI. p. 182. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 206. — Siblh. FI. Oxon. p. 128. — 
Abb. FI. Bedf. p. 88. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 197. — Reih. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) 
p. 163. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 120. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 89.— ltev. G. E. Smith's 
PI. of'S. Kent, p. 24. — Jones and Kingston’s Flora Devoniensis, pp. 69 & 137. 
— Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 114. — Mack. Catal. of l’l. of Ireland, p. 38. — Perry’s 
Plant® Varvicenses Select®, p. 36. — Bistorta major , Ray’s Syn. p. 147. — 
Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 399. — Blacks. Spec. Bot. p. 7. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. 
p. 267. 
Localities. — Moist meadows and fertile pastures ; most common in the 
North. — Oxfordshire; Near Gosford Bridge: Dr. Snmionr. Observed in the 
same place by Mr. T. W. Weaver, June 14, 1832. On the banks of the Isis 
beyond Iffley, near Oxford : Dr. Sibthorp. In Hall's Close at Holton, near 
Wheatley: Mr. John Lovegkovl. — Berks; In Oseney Meadow, between 
the Mill and Ferry Hinksey, near Oxford: Mr. E. 15. Hewlett. — Bedfordsh. 
Hyde Mill, Luton, and Thuileigh: Rev. C. Abbot. — Bucks; Hedge in a 
wet meadow near Chippenham: Mr. Gotobicd — Cambridgeshire; Closes 
near How’s House, Whitwell, Hinton, and Shelford : Rev. R. Ri liian. — 
Cheshire; Near Stockport : Mr. G. Holme. — Derbyshire ; Near Derby : Mr. 
Wiia'ielv. S. Normanton ; Crick; in a meadow by Mr. Bennett’s, Mack- 
worth: Mr. Pilkincton. At Ashbourn : Mr. J. Woods, juu. — Devon; 
In meadows at Holwell, near Manaton, and at Widdccombe-in-the-Moor : 
FI. Devoniensis. — Dorsetshire ; About Sturminster, Shelborne, and Moreton : 
Dr. PuLTiNLY. — Durham; Wood below Gateshead: Mr. Winch. Near 
Eg lesion : Bcv. J. Harkiman. — Essex; River-side aL Broomfield: Mr. W. 
CimrsTY. — Field behind Denham Vicarage: Mr. E. Forsteb, jun. — By the 
side of the Chelmer, about two miles above Chelmsford : I.oud. Mag. of Nat. 
Fig- 1. Calyx and Stamens. — Fig. 2. Germen and Styles. — Fig. 3. Seed. — 
Fig. 4. Section of ditto.— Fig. 5. A Segment of the Calyx, showing the necta- 
riferous gland at the base. 
* Front polus, many ; and yonu, a knee ax joint . from the numerous joints 
of the stem. Dr. Hooker. t From the tortuous root. 
