122 
BEAUTIFUL GARDEN FLOWERS. 
— the Bistort or Snakeroot — is a native plant, 1 to 2 
feet high, witli oblong ovate wavy leaves and dense 
cylindrical spikes of white or deep pink blossoms from 
June to September. It flourishes in damp spots in 
the border or rockery. P. cymosum is a handsome 
Chinese species, 2 feet high, with peltate triangular 
leaves, silvery white beneath, and clusters of white 
flowers in July and August. P. filiforme variegalum, 
1^ to 2 feet high, is a charming plant with variegated 
creamy-yellow and green leaves. 
Among the climbing kinds of Polygonum the best 
are baldschuanicum, with trailing woody stems and 
fleecy masses of white blossoms in summer. P. 
dumetorum is a charming British climber with Convol- 
vulus-like leaves and masses of white flowers. 
The tall growing bushy Polygonums always attract 
attention. P. cuspidatum is a well-known Japanese 
perennial, 4 to 10 feet high, with stout hollow stems 
and broadly oval oblong leaves, sharply tapering to a 
point. The creamy-white flowers are borne in great 
profusion in feathery panicles in summer. P. compac- 
tum grows 2 to 4 feet high, but is otherwise similar to 
cuspidatum. P. lanigerum, 6 to 10 feet high, is re- 
markable for its large lance-shaped wavy leaves covered 
with a whitish silvery down, and its clusters of rosy- 
red flowers. P. sachalinense, 10 to 12 feet high, has 
broadly ovate-oblong tapering leaves 8 to 12 inches 
long; while P. sphserostachyum has narrow, oblong, or 
lance-shaped leaves about 6 inches long, somewhat 
crisped and roundly toothed on the margins. The 
blood-red flowers appear in August and September in 
cylindrical spikes. These bushy species are effective 
