P O L YGONUM amphibium.
Amphibious Perjicaria.
0 C ¥ A ISf D R. IA Trigynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. coloured, in 5 fegments, permanent.
Styles 1 or 3; Seed folitary, angular, inveft-
ed with the calyx.
Spec. Char. Styles two, united half way up. ' Stamina
five. Spike ovate.
Syn. Polygonum amphibium. Linn. Sp. P I. 517.
Hudf. 169. With. 379. Iielh . 158. Sibth. 128.
Curt. Lond. fa fc . 4. t. 2,8.
Perficaria Salicis folio perennis. Rati Syn. 14 5 .
-LVa O S T com mon ly found g row in g in ponds and ditches,
w h e re its lon g c re ep in g p e ren nial ro o ts run deep into the mud,
th row in g out w h o r ls o f fibres here and th e re , w h ile the leaves
floa t upon the fu r fa c e , and the b eautiful fp ik e s o f flowers are
(in Ju l y or A u g u ft ) e levated above it. In th is cafe the leaves
a r e fm oo th , and o f a b righ t g re en . F re q u en tly h ow e v e r, as
R a y o b fe rve s, the roots are th row n out w ith the mud in clearin
g ditches; and i f b y th at, or an y o ther ac cident, the plant gets
o u t o f the w a te r , the item s g row more e redt, the leaves becom
e n a rrow e r and h a iry , and the flowers are mo re fparingly
p ro d u ced .
T h e Item is rou n d , b ranching in the low e r p a rt, le a fy , in-
ve fted w ith tubular membranous ftipulse, w h ich fheath it above
a s w e ll as b e low the infe rtion o f the fo o t-ftalks, L e a v e s altern
a te , lanceolate o r oblong, heart-fhaped at the b a fe ,a cu te , ciliated
w ith fhort b r iftly hairs. Sp ik e s o vate, eredt, on a reddifh, gen
e ra lly fm oo th , flow e r -fta lk , at firft te rm in al, b u t at len gth the
Item is protruded beyond i t ; fometimes tw o (talks g row togeth
e r. Bradteae o vate, membranous, pointed. F low e r s on fhort
fo o t - fta lk s , ro fe -colou red, compofed o f on ly a coloured calyx,
fo r fo w e b e g lea ve w ith Ju ffie u and C u r tis to call it, on acco
u n t o f the an a lo g y w ith Rumex, though Linnaeus terms it a
c a ly x - lik e coro lla. T h i s p a rt is fun ne l-fhap ed, w ith 5 obtufe
fe gm en ts. S tam in a b u t fiv e , v a ry in g in len g th . G e rm en fu-
p e r io r , red, b e aring 2 ftyle s united and red a good w a y above
th e ir b a fe , w h ite in the upper p a rt, tipped w ith red globular
ffigm a s . S e ed com prefled, b row n , polifhed ; a c co rdin g to Mr*
C u r t is , a fa vo u rite fo od o f w a te r fo w l,
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