Polygonum Persicaria. C ommon spotted
Persicaria.
I pOLYGONUM Linnai Gen. PI. Octandria T rtgynia.
Rail Syn. Gen. 5. Herb^ flore imperfecto se.u s t am in e b, v e l aPet aLo PotIus*
POLYGONUM Perficaria floribus hexandris femldigynis, pedunculis lasvibus, flipulis ciliatis, fpicis ovato-
oblongis eredtis.
POLYGONUM Perßcaria floribus hexandris digynis, fpicis ovato-oblongis, foliis laiiceolatis, flipulis ciliatis*
Lin. SyJL Vegetab.p. 312. Flor. Suecic. p. 130.
• POLYGONUM foliis ovato-lanceolatis, fub-hirfutis, fpicis ovatis, vaginis ciliatis. Platter. hiß. Helv. v. 2. t. 257.
; pERSICARIA mitis maculofa et non maculofa. Bauhin. Pin. p. 101.
I PERSICARIA maculofa. Gerardemac. 445. vulgaris mitis feu maculofa; Parkinfon. 156. Rail Syn. ed. %.p. 145.
».4. Dead or fpotted Arfmart’. Hudfon Flor. Angl. p. 147. n.. 4. Scopoli FI. Carniol. p. 279.
|j)|X fimplex, fibrofa. | ROOT Ample and fibrous.
JULIS eredtus, ad bafin aliquando repens, pedalis ad I STALK upright, fometimes creeping at bottom, from
tripedalem^ ramofus, teres, glaber, adgenicu-J one to three' feet high, branched, round, fmooth,'
los fenfim incraffatus, faspe rubens: fub geni- | gradually thicker at the joints, often of a red
culis pundta radicalia difeernantur, quamvis huic | colour: a little beneath each joint fome radical'
fpeciei non propria. f points are obfervable, which however are not
. $ peculiar, to this fpecies. 5AMI alterni, e fingulo geniculo prodeuntes, pa.tentes, | BRANCHES alternate, proceeding from each joint,
fajpe diffiifi. ? fpreading, frequently very much lo.
vaginantes, liquore vifeido faspe replete, | STIPULE embracing the ftalk, frequently full of a vif-
ciliatae. f ' | cid liquid, and terminated by long ciliae or hairs.
"LIA lanceolata, fubpetiolata, margine nervoque me- 1 LEAVES lanceolate, with fhort foot-ftalks, the edge
dio fubhirfutus, utrinque laevia, macula ferrum | and midrib {lightly hairy, fmooth on both fides,
equinum quodammodo referente faepius notata. | in general having a large fpot on the middle of
| the leaf fomewhat like a horfe-fhoe.
jEDUNCULI laves. § | FOOT-STALKS of the flowers, fmooth.
LORES fpicati, rofei, fpicae terminales, eredtae, fub-1 FLOWERS growing in fpikes, of a bright rofe colour,
ovatae. * I the fpikes terminal, upright, of a fomewhat
’ ‘ ' J*oval fhape. •
bALYX : Perianthium quinquepartitum, coloratura, |C A L Y X : a Perianthium divided into five'fegments,
perfiftens, fegmentis ovatis obtufis, Jig, 1, 2. | coloured, and perfifling, the fegments oval and
■: ‘ , obtufe, jig. r, 2.
^JROLLA nulla. . . • ’ ^COROLLA wanting.
b/AMINA: Filamenta fex fundo calycis inferta Ion-1 STAMINA : fix Filaments inlerted into the bottom
gitudine coroll*; Anther a: rubentes, jig. 2. | o f the calyx, the length of the corolla; the
t - A ntheb ie reddifh, jig. 2.
jlSTILLUM: Germen ovatum, compreffum,aut trique-jPISTILLUM: Germen oval and flat, or three-fquare,
trum, fig. 3, 6. Stylus ad medium ujque bifidus | fig. 3 ,6 . Style divided down to the middle into
fiepe trifidus, fig. 5, 8. Stigmata duo aut trial two, often into three parts, jig. 5, 8. St Igmata
fubrotunda, fig. 4, 7. f two orthree, and round, jig. 4, 7.
MEN unicum, nitidum, aut fubovatum, acuminatum, | SEED one, Alining, either of an oval pointed fhape and
ad unUm latus leviter convexum, J£. 9, u . | {lightly convex on one fide, fig, 9, n . or
aut trigonum, fig. 10, 12. f three-fquarb, fig. 10, 12.
[The very great fimilarity which exifts between the feveral fpecies of the Polygonums, has occafioned no fmall
|gree of trouble to Botanifts, in rightly afceitaining the limits' of each Species and Variety; a difficulty not to be
focome While Books are confulted more than Nature. Senfible of the truth of this obfervation, and earneftly
Mirous of arriving at fome certainty on this fubjedt, we have examined a vaft number of all the different Species
Jd Varieties of Polygonum which our neighbourhood affords, compared them with one another, fown the feeds,
jd cultivated many of them; and, if we do not deceive ourfelves, have reduced fome of the more difficult ones
their true Species and Varieties.
I As what we relate concerning thefe plants is no more than the refult of the mod accurate and repeated inveftiga-
rn> affifted by the microfcope, we {hall be the lefs concerned becaufe we differ from Authors of the mod refpedtable
ithorityrj^M;-,, . r
I The writer who gives an account of all the known plants in the univerfe, cannot be fuppofed to have the oppor-
M being fo minute in his enquiries as one who deferibes the plants of a particular fpot, which as they grow
jCconftantly the objects of his attention.
I We have ventured to alter Linnaeus’s Specific defeription of this plant, which Hands thus:
Polygonum floribus hexandris digynis, fpicis ovato-oblongis, foliis lanceolatis, flipulis ciliatis. to
Polygonum floribus hexandris femidigynis, pedunculis lavibus, flipulis ciliatis, fpicis ovato-oblongis eredits;
_ We have not made this alteration from an idle clefire of differing from fo great a Man, whom we truly refpedt and
i^c, but folely to make the diftindtions betwixt thofe plants more obvious, and thereby add our mite to the
f era ™ck of Botanic knowledge. In fpecific deferiptions, the diftinguifhing marks {hould as much as poffible
j-contrafted or oppofed to each other: in thefe plants this does notfeem to have,, been fuffieiently attended to. What
pave principally in view by altering the Specific defeription is to diftinguifti >it- from the Polygonum Penfylvanicum
Nyair?168’ °f there are feverai’ and t0 wllich the Polygonum Perficdri£ in its general habit is exceeding
[h all the flowers of this Species which we have examined, the Style has been';divided juft half way down;
r e^e have called the flowers Semidigyni; had it been divided down to the bafe, they would with propriety have
1 eahfl In ,moft of the flowers the Style is divided into two parts, and the Germen is a little convex
i H i i i Jn .of the flowers the ftyle is divided into three"; hence thofe flowers might be called Semi-
» when this is the cafe the Germen is always triangular. In the Polygonum. Penfylvanicum the Style is
||| Pffly to the bafe; this difference then in the divifion of the Style is of <
iTiPr lnS *he two Species and their varieties from each other.
[1 Je footftalks which fupport t
>: Wet with;
nfiderable confequence i
1 fupport the flowers in this Species are quite fmooth. In the Polygonum Penfylvanicum, they
harnifhed with long Ciliae or Hairs, particularly towards the top of the plant* - In the Polygonum
pak 11efe are wanting. , Thefe two plants likewife dif m. rA r i . . - o ----------- r ....... ................— rf-e-r- -m--u-c-h-- -i-n- -tvh-e -foMriU o' fr t"hf~ eir fre ed s ,w^ h ich we f"f ial"l
The fl *e ^ 111 our account the latter.
fee's is°WerS ^W.ay.s i r°w in upright fpikes of an oval fhape, more or lefs round ; by thefe two charafters this 1 |||S once diftinguiffied from the Polygonum Hydropiper, the fpikes of which are filiform and pendulous'.
ie0ni afVes are m°fl commonly fpotted, but this is neither conftant nor peculiar to this Species, and difference of
It Em l0rms principal variety to which it is fubjedt.
y i^ ^ ^ c^ in g ly cornmon in all-our Ditches, and flowers in Auguftand September; its blpfloms are beautiful
«0 Darfi0ni ei-ble t^me ’ was at nQt comrYon> it would probably be thought worthy of a place in our Gardens.;
r® tcular virtues or ufes are attributed to it.