Polygonum amphibium. Amphibious Persicaria. 
POLYGONUM Lin. Gen. PI. Octandria Trigynia. 
Cal. o. Cor. 5-partita, calycina. Sem. 1. angulatum. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 5. Herb.e flore imperfecto seu stamineo vel apetalo potius. 
POLYGONUM amphibium floribus pentaridris femidigynis, fpica ovata. Lin. Syfl. Vegetab p jp 
Sp. P/. 51 7. FI. Suec. n. 341. ^ 
POLYGONUM foliis ovato lanceolatis ciliatis, fpicis ovatis. Haller Hjjl. n. 1565. 
POTAMOGETON falicis folio. Baub. pin. 193. 
FONTALIS major longifolia. ParkinJ. 1254. 
POTAMOGITON anguftifolium. Ger. emac. 821. 
PERSICARIA falicis folio perennis. Rail Syn. Perennia) Willow-leaved Arfmart, commonly called 
narrow-leaved Pondweed. Hudfon FI. Angl. ci. a. p. 169. Lightfoot Ft. Scot. p. 207. 
Oeder Fl. Dan. t. 282. Phrelkeld Syn. S/irp. Hibern. 
RADIX perennis, repens, craffitie culmi triticei majoris, t 
e rubro-fufca, ex hortis live agris difficillime | 
eruta. I 
i 
CAULIS fefquipedalis et ultra, adfcendens, plerumque f 
fimplex, teres, fiftulolus, faipius ruber, geni- f 
culis tumidiufculis. * f 
FOLIA petiolata, cordato-lanceolata, hirfutula, ciliata, | 
rigidula, faturate viridia, faspe maculata, fub- I 
undulata, alterna, patentia. | 
f 
¥ 
STIPULAE long*, muticae, hirfut*, vaginantes, caulem I 
ar£le cingentes. y 
¥ 
PEDUNCULI folitarii, feu gemini, hirfuti, rubri, ad f 
n ' " ’ • ’ ' • ¥ 
I 
- — — lliixuu, 1 UUII, 
unum latus compreflo-fulcati, vix terminales. | 
SPICAE ruberrima, primo pyramidales, demum ovat*. I 
CALYX : Perianthium pedicellatum, quinque-parti- I 
tum, coloratum, perfiftens, laciniis ovatis, | 
obtufis. jig. 1. | 
COROLLA nulla. ¥ 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, aut fex, fundo f 
calycis inferta, fubulata, alba, calyce longiora ; * 
Antheras didym* ; Pollen album, globo- f 
fum. Jig. 2. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fubovatum, rubrum j Stylus | 
ad medium ufque divifus ; Stigmata duo, f 
rotunda. Jig. 3. t 
SEMEN ovatum, utrinque compreffum, acutum, niti- f 
dum, e nigro caftaneum. Jig. 4. | 
ROOT perennial, creeping, the thicknefs of a large 
wheaten ftraw, of a reddifh brown colour, 
with the greatefl: difficulty rooted out of "dr- 
dens or fields. 
STALK a foot and ’a half or more in length, bending 
upward, generally Ample, round, hollow, rnofl 
commonly of a red colour, the joints a little 
fwelled. 
LEAVES Handing on footflalks, lanceolate, with a 
heaft-fliaped bafe, flightly hirfute, edged with 
hairs, harfli to the touch, of a deep green co- 
lour, often fpotted, fomevvhat waved, alternate, 
and fpreading. 
STIPULAE long, not fringed with hairs at the extre- 
mity, hirfute, forming a fheath, which cloftly 
furrounds the ftalk. 
FLOWER-STALKS growing fingly, or two together, 
hirfute, red, on one fide flattened, and flightly 
grooved, not properly terminal. 
SPIKES of the flowers of a bright red colour, at firfl 
pyramidal, afterwards ovate. 
CALYX : a Perianthium on a footflalk, divided into 
five fegments, coloured and permanent, the 
fegments ovate and obtufe. pig. 1. 
COROLLA wanting. 
STAMINA : five Filaments inferted into the bottom 
of the calyx, tapering, white, longer than the 
calyx ; Antheeje double ; Pollen white and 
globular. Jig. 2. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fomewhat ovate, and of a red 
colour ; Style divided as far as the middle ; 
Stigmata two, round, jig. 3. 
SEED ovate, flattened on each fide, pointed, glofly, of 
a dark chefnut colour, fg. 4. 
The fpecies of Polygonum here figured acquires the name of amphibium from its growing both on land and in 
yfl0 R f ’ whe " ce . the ann , ent botanllls - regardlefs of its fruftification, improperly 
called it a Pondweed, thus Caspar Badhine gives it the name of Polamogtton falicis folio ; Ray very properly 
c<jrrefts this error, and calls it Perjicana Salicis folio perennis. J J e y propeily 
Of the Porfraria Mon of the genus Polygonum Linneei, this is the' only one that has a perennial root a cha- 
Ir?her h f Ch “f a f P ccles - befides thls ^ has many peculiarities, the leaves are heart-ftaped 
at the bafe, with the edges mpged with hairs, they are alfo hardier to the touch than any of the other Perficaria’s 
efpecially when the plant grows out of the water, its ftipula; more clofely furround the ftaik, which has Gene- 
rally two fpikes of flowers at its extremity, neither of which are perfeftly terminal, thefe lpikes are more lyra- 
midal when yonng, and of a brighter red colour than any of the fpecies related to it ; when it grows in the water 
SdH? f, P “II be “ meS lil “ tt , r a " d ,s m ° re d'fpofed to bloffom ; botanifts have alfo obferved that the flamina 
which when the plant grows on land are longer, are here lhorter than the corolla*. ’ 
As a weed few plants are more pernicious, Batterfea Fields, in which this plant abounds, bear fufficient tefii- 
many to the truth of this I aflemou, as its roots not only creep, but penetrate fo deep into the earth that they are 
Is? SwT* Ti / m a ‘ he dne e pa , rt 0f the fieUs k leld0m fl0WErs ' but in certniti ipo.s, where the waier 
has fettled in wet feafons, it flowers abundantly in September. 
From its bloflbmmg thus rarely in arable land it fortunately is a more local plant than many of the fame 
genus, the feeds,of which are erther fown or introduced with manure. 1 7 
, 7 ° at ,r, n r f0r t ,tS ™‘ rchlel ', 0 . us efiia , s on land, it contributes highly to ornament ponds, rivers, and pieces of 
water ; thofe .who wifll to cultivate it for this purpofe need only plant the roots near tile water’s edge, the plants 
quickly find their way into the water, where they mult be fecured from water-fowl, who are fond of its feeds 
This is by no means conftanr. 
