POLYGONUM YIVIPARUM. VIVIPAROUS OR
ALPINE BISTORT.
PO LY G O N UM viviparum; caule simplici monoslachyo, foliis lineari-lanceolatis margine revolutis.
PO LY G O N UM viviparum. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 516. Huds. Angl. p. 169. L ig h t f Scot. p . 206.
With. Mot. A r r . ed. 4. vol. 2. p. 376. Oed. FI. Dan. 1 .13. Smith FI. Brit. p. 428.
Engl. Bot. t. 669- Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P .1 , p. 183. Wittd. Sp. PI. vol. 2.
p .4 4 1 . Wahl. Supp. p. 99. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 3.- p. 364. FI. Gall. Syn.
p . 192. Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 1. p. 439. Alton Hort. Kew. ed. 2. vol. 2. p. 417.
PO LYGONUM radice lignosa intorta, foliis nervosis, radicalibus ovato-lanceolatis, caulinis lineari-
bus. Hall. Helv. n. 1558.
BISTORTA minor. Small Bistort, or Snakeweed. R aii S yn.p. 147.
BISTORTA minima Alpina, foliis imis subrotundis e t minutissime serratis. R aii Syn. p. 147.
Dan. Liden eller Norsk slangeurt. Fr. L a Bistorte vivipare. Germ. Die kiemende Natterwurz.
Norw. Harerug. Swed. Mort'dg.
Class a n d Ord er. OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[N atural Ord er. POLYGONE iE , Juss. Decand.]
G en . C h ar. Perianthium simplex, quadri- ad sex-partitum, coloratum. Stamina quatuor ad novem. Stylus bi- vel
tri-partitus. Stigmata totidem, capitata. N u x perianthio (quandoque baccato) tecta. Embryo u n ila te ra l. B r .
G e n . Ch a r . Perianth simple, from four- to six-cleft, coloured. Stamens four to nine. Style two- or three-cleft.
Stigmas as many, capitate. N u t covered by a perianth (sometimes berried). Embryo on one side. B r .
R adix perennis, subbulbosa, fusca, fibrosa.
Caulis spithameeus ad dodrantalem, simplicissimus,
erectus, teres, foliosus, basi squamis membrana-
ceis fuscis obsitus.
Folia inferiora elliptica, longe petiolata, reliqua line-
ari-lanceolata, erecta, crassiuscula, rigida, glabra,
intense viridia, subtus pallida, margine revoluta,
nervo dorso prominente, basi vaginata, vagina
parte superiore membranacea, fusca.
"SPICA terminalis, tri- ad quadri-uncialem, linearis, obtusa,
apice multiflora, parte inferiore gemmifera;
Gemmis (bractea ovato-acuminata, membranacea,
fusca, concava, centro viridi, basi extus tuberculo
virrdi suffultis) ovatis, attenuatis, carnoso-farina-
ceis, purpureö-sanguineis, parte superiore palli-
diore membranacea, demum pro emissione folio-
rum fissa. .
FLORES (bracteis duabus ovato-acuminatis, interiore
pedicellum vaginante, suffulti) albi vel pallide
rosei.
P er ia n th ium simplex, fere ad basin sex-fidum; seg-
mentis ovatis, obtusissimis, parum concavis,
erectis.
Stam in a bcto, filamenta alba, basi rosea, longitudine
insequali, plerumque perianthio paulo longiora.
Anthe ra ovato-rotundatse, biloculares, purpurese.
GERMEN (in meis speciminibus semper imperfectum)
ovatum, acute triquetrum, angulis marginatis, rubrum.
Styli tres, .filiformes. Stigmata capitata.
Root perennial, somewhat bulbous, brown, fibrous.
Stem from a span to nine inches in length, very simple,
erect, round, leafy, at the base clothed with
brown membranaceous scales.
Leaves, the inferior ones elliptical, on long footstalks,
the rest linear-lanceolate, erect, thickish, rigid,
smooth, intensely green, pale bfeneath; the margin
revolute, with the nerve prominent on the
back, sheathed a t the base, with the sheath upwards
becoming membranaceous and brown.
Sp ik e terminal, three to four inches long, linear, ob-,
tuse; the extremity many-flowered, the lower part
gemmiferous ; the Gemma (supported by an
ovate, acuminate, membanaceous, brown, concave
bractea, green in the middle at the base, externally,
having a green tubercle) ovate, attenuated,
carnoso-farinaceous, between purple and sanguineous,
the upper part paler, membranaceous, at
length bursting for the emission of the leaves.
Flowers (supported by two ovato-acuminate brac-
teas, the interior one sheathing the flower-stalk)
white or pale rose colour.
P e r ia n th simple, cleft into six almost to the base, with
the segments ovate, very obtuse, a little concave,
erect.
Stamens eight, filaments white, rose-coloured a t the
base, unequal in length; generally a little longer
than the perianth. Anthers between ovate and
roundish, two-celled, purple.
Ge rmen (in my specimens always imperfect) ovate,
acutely triquetrous, the angles margined, red.
Styles three, filiform. Stigmas capitate.
Fig. 1. Flower and bracteas. Fig. 2. Single flower spread open, the germen being removed. Fig. 3. Stamen.
Fig. 4. Germen and styles. Fig. 5. Portion o f a spike with its gefmen and bractea. Fig. 6. Gemma seen
from its base. Fig. 7- Bractea spread open to show the point of insertion of the gemma. Fig. 8. Gemma
dissected, to show the young leaves. Fig. 9. Gemma with the leaves protruded;—all more or less magnified.
Specimens of this rare and elegant alpine plant were communicated by my most valued friend the Rev. James
Dalton, from Cronkley-Fell, in June of this year. In all which I received, the flowers were imperfect; but for
this defect nature has amply supplied a remedy in the numerous little gemma; or buds which form the lower part
of the spike. These are of a bright purplish blood-colour, formed of an ovato-attenuated membrane, which from
the base to above the middle is filled with a whitish substance between fleshy and farinaceous. From the summit
o f this mass arise a number of linear-lanceolate and almost subulate scales, which, even before the buds fall from
the parent plant, burst into leaves through an opening at the summit of the bud, as may be seen at fig. 9- The
two forwardest leaves are probably those which will prove the radical ones in the future plant, as they are very
short in proportion to their width, and petiolated, as in the full-grown individual, upon which they may generally
be seen in a state of decay.
79