LXXXII. POLY GONACEiE 
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glabrous ; stipules tubular, thinly hairy, fringed with the long 
points of the projecting nerves. Flowers pink or white, in. 
long, in slender, erect or drooping racemes 1-2 in. long ; bracts 
tubular, fringed with long, needle-like points. Perianth 5-parted, 
sometimes glandular. Stamens 8. Styles 3, united for half their 
length. Nut 3 -angled, smooth. 
Simla, Tara Devi, Narkunda, usually near water ; July-October. — N.W. 
Himalaya, 6000-10,000 ft. 
13. Polygonum Hydropiper, Linn . ; FI. Br. Ind. v. 39. Stems 
12-18 in., prostrate and rooting at the lower joints, then ascending, 
minutely glandular, glabrous, much-branched, swollen at the joints. 
Leaves shortly stalked, lanceolate, 2-3 in., narrowed to the base, 
glandular-dotted, midrib minutely hairy ; stipules tubular, about 
^ in., inflated near the middle, glabrous or minutely hairy on the 
nerves, fringed with unequal bristles. Flowers pink or red, in 
slender, interrupted racemes 2-3 in. long, tips drooping ; bracts 
tubular, shortly fringed. Perianth 5-parted, glandular. Stamens 
usually 6. Styles 2 or 3, free nearly to the base. Nuts finely 
dotted, of the 2-styled flowers flattened and circular, of the 3-styled 
3-angled. 
Simla, Nal Dehra, usually near water ; July-October. — Throughout India, 
ascending to 7000 ft.— N. temperate and tropical regions, including Britain 
(Water-pepper). — Australia. 
The leaves have an acrid taste. 
14. Polygonum alatum, Buch.-Ham. ; FI. Br. Ind. v. 41. A very 
variable plant. Stems erect, glabrous or thinly hairy ; in the smaller 
forms 3-6 in., slender and unbranched ; in the larger 6-18 in., 
robust and branched. Leaves glabrous, rarely hairy, gland- 
dotted, rough with minute points, ovate, obtuse or acute, abruptly 
or gradually narrowed into a winged stalk sometimes eared at 
its base ; in the smaller forms in. ; in the larger 1-3 in. ; 
stipules tubular, hairy or glandular towards the base, not 
fringed. Flowers white, purple or red, in, heads 1--^ in. diam., 
usually with a sessile involucral leaf ; stalks glandular-hairy near 
the top ; bracts flat, glabrous. Perianth 4- or 5-parted. Stamens 
6 or 8. Styles 2 or 3, united to near the top. Nut quite 
enclosed in the perianth, 3-angled, or flattened and circular, 
minutely dotted. 
Simla, abundant in damp places; January-December. — Hilly districts 
throughout India, up to 10,000 ft. — W. Asia, Africa. 
In the FI. Br. Ind. this species is divided into six varieties, four of which, 
viz. nepalense, parviflorimi, Metzianum, and rigidulum, are found at Simla ; 
these are included in the above description. Their differences do not appear 
constant. 
f 
15. Polygonum capitafum, Buch.-Ham .; FI. Br. Ind. v. 44. 
Eootstock woody ; stems many, leafy, 6-10 in., trailing and rooting, 
red-brown, hairy. Leaves in 2 rows, broadly ovate, J-l^ in., 
