Polygonum minus. Small, creeping, narrow-leaved 
Persicaria. 
POLYGONUM 
POLYGONUM 
POLYGONUM 
POLYGONUM 
Lintuei Gen. PI. Octandria Trigynia. 
Cal. o. Cor. 5-partita calycina. Sew. 1, angulatum. 
RaiiSyn. Gen. 5. Herba: flore imperfecto seu Stamineo vel apetala potius* * 
minus floribus hexandris, fubmonogynis, foliis lineari-lanceolatis, caule bafi repente. 
minus hexandris digynis foliis lanceolatis, flipulis ciliatis, caule divaricato patulo. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. p. 148. 
foliis ovato-lanceolatis, glabris, fpicis ftrigofis, vaginis ciliatis. Haller, hijl. p. 257. 
»• 1 555 - 
P ER SIC ARI A minor. Bauhin Pin. 1014 ? anguftifolia. BauhlnPin. 10 1.3? 
PERSICARIA pufilla repens Ger. emac. 446. Parkinfon. 857. RaiiSyn. 145.2. Small Creeping Arfmart. 
PERSICARIA anguftifolia cx fingulis geniculis florens. Mer. Pin. 90? RaiiSyn. 145. 3. Narrow- 
leaved Lakeweed. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa. 
CAULES plures, dodrantales, aut pedales, baf repentes, 
demum fuberedti, geniculati, (geniculis paulu- 
lum incraflatis,) laeves, rubicundi. 
FOLIA linear i-lanceolat a, pene avenia, fuperne glabra. 
STTPU T./ P. vaginantes, ciliatae. 
SPICUS tenues, parum nutantes, e fingulis geniculis 
prodeuntes. 
CALYX : Perianthium quinquepartitum, perfiftens, 
coloratum, laciniis obtufis concavis,^. 1. 
COROLLA nulla. 
STAMINA: Filamenta fex ; Anthers biloculares, 
albae, intra Corollam. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum aut triangulare; Sty- 
lus filiformis, apice bifidus aut trifidus ; Stig- 
mata duo aut tria rotunda, reflexa, fg. 2, 3. 
SEMEN aut ovato-acutum aut triangulare, caftaneum, 
magnitudinis fere et formae feminis Polygoni 
Perlicariae, fg. 4, 5. 
N. B. Omnes partes fructificationis lente augentur. 
t ROOT annual, and fibrous. 
STALKS feveral, about nine inches or a foot high, 
creeping at bottom, then becoming nearly upright, 
jointed, (the joints fomewhat thickened,} 
fmooth, of a reddilh colour. 
• : LEAVES betwixt linear and lanceolate , fcarcely any ap- 
; ; pearance of veins, on thier upper furface fmooth. 
| STIPULE forming ftieaths round the joints, and 
ciliated. 
i; SPIKES flenderand a little drooping, proceeding from 
each joint of the ftalk. 
;• CALYX: a Perianthium divided into five fegments, 
:: which are obtufe and hollow, fg. 1. 
' COROLLA wanting. 
STAMINA fix Filaments; Anther® bilocular, 
1 : and white, within the Corolla. 
;; PISTILLUM: Germen oval or triangular; Style 
L filiform, at top bifid or trifid ; Stigmata two 
' ’ or three, round and turned back, fg. 2, 3. 
; ; SEEDS oval or triangular, of a chefnut colour, nearly 
of the fame fize and ftiape as the Polygonum 
;; Perficaria, fg. 4» $■ 
N. B. All the parts of the fru&ification are magnified. 
If the opportunity of feeing this plant growing wild had ever occured to the celebrated Swedifh Botamft, he would 
doubtlefs have confidered it as a diftincf fpeci?s ; at prefent he has placed it m the laft edition of hts _ works the 
Svftma Vegetabilium, as a variety of the Polygonum Perficana, probably nulled by dried fpectmens of the pi . 
thole who trull to fuch are exceeding -liable to deceive both themfelves and others, particularly in plants whole 
parts of fruftifi cation (from which it is fometimes neceflary to draw fpecific differences) are very minute thole m 
the living plants are with difficulty enough diftinguilhed, and in dried lpecimens not to be unmitigated. 
Whoever has obferved the appearance which the Polygonum minus and Perficana ufually put on, mu - . 
ft ruck with the great diflimilarhy of the two in their general habits j and if they have taken the pains to examine the 
they will, I am perfwaded, be convinced that both Mr. Rav and Hudson are juftifiable m 
Perfmi* in i» fee, growth of its'ftalk Ihape of its leaves, form of its fpikes, and 
divifion of its Piftillum. In height it feldom exceeds a foot, whereas the Perficana often occuis a yard hig , 
ftalk of this fpecies creeps at bottom, in the Perficana it never does: it is true in the Perficana, and m 
Polygonums, a number of little roots pulh themfelves out at the joints, which arc next the ground , but in th as i Ipecte: 
the walk at bottom is abfolutelv procumbent, whilft in the Perficana it is always upnght ; the leaves are 
rower, approaching rather to linear than lanceolate, and on their upper furface have much Ms appear no = of veins, 
than in the Perficana ; the fpikes, inftead of being oval or nearly round, and upright, as m AePirfuz , “ 
and a little drooping : the Piftillum, which is a part of very great conference lit determining many of the fpecies and 
i. divided « tooWr ■. while that of the Perficaria is divided halfway down ; hence 
Hitherto I hove met with ’this plant growing wild no where but in 1 ottnU-Jum, ir ejmmjier .«t it makes ample 
amends for its fcardty dfewl.cre.bein| found in the greateft abundance in the watry parts of thofe fields, along with 
the' Sifvmbrium fyhejire in the month of September, when it is. m full bloom. 
At prefent if docs not appear that it has any thmgmore than tis fcarcity to recommend it to our notice. 
