Polygonum Pensylvanicum. Pale - flowered 
Persicaria. 
POLYGONUM Linnat Gen. PI. Octandria Trigynia. 
RaliSyn. Gen. 5. Herbje flore imperfecto seu Stamineo (vel apetala potius.) 
POLYGONUM floribus hexandris, digynis; ftipulis muricis; pedunculis fcabris; feminibus utrinque 
depreflis. 
POLYGONUM floribus ottandris digynis, pedunculis hifpidis, foliis lanqeolatis, fripulis muricis. 
Linnai Syft. Veget ab. Sp . Piant, p. 519. 
PERSICARIA mitis major foliis pallidioribus. D. Bobarti, Dead Arfmart the greater with pale leaves. 
Rail Syn. ed. 3. p. 145. Hudfon FI. Angl. p. 148. 
RADIX fibrofa, annua. 
CAULIS tripedalis circiter, teres, glaber, fiftulofus, 
ramofus ; rami patentes, geniculis maxime in- 
craflatis. 
FOLIA ovnto-lanceolata, fupra glabra, fubtus glandulis 
pun&ata, faspe pubefcentia, ciliata, nunc ma- 
culata nunc immaculata. 
PETIOLI fubtus hirfuti, fcabriufculi. 
STIPULE bafi nervofx, mutica:. 
PEDUNCULI pilis brevibus glanduliferis fcabri.^. 1. 
FLORES herbacei, pedunculis brevibus infidentes, denfe 
glomerati, ipicce ovatiE, feminibus maturis fub- 
nutantes. 
CALYX : Perianthium quinquepartitum, laciniis o- 
vatis, obtufis, Jig. 2, 3. 
COROLLA nulla. 
STAMINA: Filamenta fex, fubulata, alba, Corolla 
paulo breviora ; Antherje biloculares ; Pol- 
len globofum. Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum ; Stylus fere ad 
bafin divifus ; Stigmata duo fubrotunda, 
Jig- 5. <>■ 
SEMEN cordatum, acuminatum, comprelfum, medio 
deprejjum, nitidum, fig. 9, 10, magnit. nat. fg. 
7, 8, lente au£t. fubinde obtufe triquetrum, 
fg- 12 - 
ROOT fibrous and annual. 
STALK about three feet high, round, fmooth, hollow, 
branched, the branches fpreading, and the 
joints very much fwelled. 
LEAVES of an oval pointed fhape, fmooth on their 
upper furface, underneath dotted with fmall 
glands, and often downy, edged with little 
hairs, fometimes with and fometimes without 
fpois. 
FOOT-STALKS of the leaves hairy underneath, with 
a flight roughnefs to the touch. 
STIPULAE rib’d at bottom, and not terminated by any 
hairs. 
FOOT STALKS of the flowers rough with little glands. 
1. 
FLOWERS of a greenifh colour, fitting on fhort foot- 
ftalks, and growing thickly together ; fpikes 
oval, and when the feeds are ripe drooping 
a little. 
CALYX: a Perianthium divided into five fegments, 
which are oval and obtufe, fig. 2, 2. 
COROLLA wanting. 
STAMINA : fix Filaments, tapering, white, a little 
fhorter than the Corolla ; Antherje bilocular ; 
Pollen globular, Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fomewhat oval; Style divi- 
ded nearly down to the bafe ; Stigmata two 
roundifh, fig. 5, 6. 
SEED heart-fhaped, pointed, flat, with a deprejfion in 
the middle , fhining, Jig. 9, 10, of its natural 
7» 8, magnified, fometimes obtufely 
triangular,^. 12. 
The plant here figured, a the PA™ mlu major film pallidioribus, D. Bobarti, and which is particularly 
defcribed in the 3d. edition of Ray s Synopfi, p. 145: from the confonancy of this defeription, with that which 
Linn.bUs had given of the Polygonum Pcnfyhamcum, in the 3d. edition of his Speices Plantarum, Mr. Hudson fet it 
down m his Flora as that fpec.es : and Linnisus in the laft edition of his Syflema Vegetal, as a confirmation of out 
isnglilh Polygonums, being the -fame with his Pcnfyhamcum, quotes Bobarts’s deferiptive name. 
, p A , T ’ L 1 ™*” 5 ’ and Hudson, then, it is made a diftinft fpecies ; by Haller it is confidered as a variety 
of the Polygonum Perform ; but as the Baron forms his judgment from dried fpecimens that were fent him in which 
many of the d.ftmginfhmg charadters of this plant would be unavoidably loft, he feems the mol likely to be miftaken • 
I mail therefore join in making it a diftind fpec.es ; and I truft fhall give fuch ftriking additional char «Mrs, as wili 
fettle this matter beyond difpute. & ’ w - 
The true Polygonum Pcnfyhamcum { for there are feveral varieties of it) has the greateft affinity with the Polygonum 
Terjicana, but differs from , it in the following particulars, viz. place of growth, fee, ftipular, leaves, foot-ftilk“ 
the leaves, foot-ftalks of the flowers, ftyle, and feeds. x 
While the Polygonum Perficaria ufually delights to grow by the fides of moil ditches, the Penfiylvamcum prefers a 
richer and more luxuriant foil ; and fo common is it with us about town, that there is fcarce a dunghill on which it 
may not be found : indeed mils attachment to this particular foil, it refembles many of the Chenopodiums or Oral, 
Was it never to occur in other fixations, feme might be ready to lufpeft that it was a variety ofthe Perficaria arifing 
from nchnefs of foil ; but it is frequently found in other places : and I remember once to have f PPn the P„/ 1 S 
Perficaria, Hydropiper, and Penfylvanicum, all growing by the fide of a ftream within fix inches of each other* 
In its moft common ftate it is much larger than the Polygonum Perficaria, and its joints in particular are more fwelled • 
its St, pulse are much more ftrongly r.bM at bottom and have no Cilise ; its leaves are broader, the veins fomewhat 
deeper and more ftrongly marked ; the hairs on the edges of the leaves more vif, ble, but particularly fo under the 
foot-fhllk ofthe leaf- to which thev mve. n mnnifefF tl,., /1 i G , < . naer tile 
foot-ftalk of the leaf, to which they give a mamfeft roughnefs: m the uppermoft leaves the under tide is generally 
dotted with very minute glands, while in the lowermoft it ,s covered with a kind of down • this laft charaflj ebZl 
contrary to what Linn.eus afftrts, is never feen in the Polygonum Perficaria ; but in this fpecies it isalwavsY g 
leis predominant. The foot-ftalks of the flowers are thickly befet with little yelloSS ftald ^ X “ 
foot-ftalks, which fometimes extend half way down the plant ; this appearance never or exceeding rarely of cuTs iifthe 
Polygonum Perfcana : the flowers are of a pale or greemfh hue, and form thickerand larger foikes than ; n the p 7 
Perficaria, and when ripe are fo heavy as frequent?, to hang down a little : the Style ifdi^ded ~ Lriy l^nTo 
the Germen, while in the Polygonum Perfcana it is divided only half way ; and this Jivifon ofthe Style I look unon 
as one of the mod conflant and certain catena of this fpecies : laftly the form ofthe feeds contributes not a littkto 
the farther afcertaminp- and u : m the VprRrnnn t-he fpcAc i... - . . lutie ro 
the farther afeertaining and fixing it ; in the Perficaria the feeds are either triangular, or of a uointed nv=l '<kl„ •£ 
a little «««9. on each fide ; in this fpecies it is in general flat, with a deprfjioa on each ffdeT t is a fo £r md 
broader ; now and then a feed occurs forming an unequal triangle, but thefe are verv rare «-File , • lc,I & cr ; in “ 
is moft frequent in the Polygonum Perfcaria. 8 7 * hlle the 
