422 A CENSUS OF THE INDIAN POLYGONUMS. 
Leaf -apex with a distinct 
hyaline mucro. . 
Leaf-apex without a 
mucro. 
§§ Branches prostrate 
Stipules very white, almost en- 
tire. Internodes very smooth, 
angled but not grooved. 
Leaves very small subulate, 
fleshy, mucronulate 
Stipules brownish, fimbriate. 
Internodes grooved. Leaves 
up to 2 cm. long, linear or 
narrowly lanceolate, flat, not 
mucronulate 
P. afghanicum. 
P. salicornioides. 
P. polycnemoidcs. 
P. plebejum and its 
variety elegans. 
Flowers exserted on long pedi- 
cels . . . . . P. plebejum 
VAR, effusa. 
B. Inflorescence of sessile or pedicelled flowers closely set on 
unhranched spikes or spiciform racemes, 
* Leaves all sessile or only very shortly petioled 
t Laminae orbicular, broadly elliptic or 
oblong 
Plant dwarf, not creeping, leaves all 
radical and very hairy . , . P. Hookeri. 
Plaiit not dwarf, creeping, leaves cauline 
and glabrous . . , , P. vaccinifolium. 
tt Laminae linear or linear-lanceolate 
Racemes many-flowered, from 6o up- 
wards . . , . . P. affine. 
Racemes few-flowered, rarely as many 
as 20 • , , . . * P. Emodi. 
All or at least the lower leaves long-petioled 
t Leaves ovate-cordate, upper ones am- 
plexicaul 
Petiole winged above • | • . P. Bistorta. 
Petiole not winged , . . » P. amplexicaule. 
tt Leaves lanceolate or linear lanceolate not 
ampfexicaul 
§ Lower part of inflorescence bulbili- ^ 
ferous . , . . . P. viviparum. 
