POLYGONUM DIVARICA'TUM. 
DIVARICATED POLYGONUM. 
Class. Order. 
OCTANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
POLY GONE£. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Cultivated 
Siberia. 
2 feet. 
July, Aug. 
Perennial. 
in 1759. 
No. 106. 
Polygonum is derived from the Greek polu, 
many; and gonu, a knee, knot, or joint, on account 
of the numerous knotted joints upon most of the 
plants comprised in this genus. Divaricatum, from 
the Latin divarico, to spread or stand out wide. 
The term divaricate, in botanical language, is usu- 
ally applied to branches which form an obtuse angle 
with the stem. 
The present species of Polygonum is an interest- 
ing plant, though it does not possess the gaiety or 
the stature of the better-known annual of the same 
family, the Polygonum orientale, or Tall Persicaria. 
In the mixed parterre of herbaceous plants it yields 
an elegant variety, and prettily contrasts with the 
more glaring colours of various species of Coreopsis, 
Epilobium, Phlox, Lilium, &c. which produce their 
flowers at the same period. 
It will flourish in any common garden soil, and 
requires very little attention. As it increases pretty 
freely at the roots, it is readily multiplied by a sepa- 
ration of them ; and this operation may be performed 
with equal success in the autumn or spring, but the 
latter season should be preferred. 
llort. Kew. 2, v. 2, 419. 
