/ / / C 509 ]
P O L Y G O N U M Biftorta.
Bijiort or Snakeweed.
O C T A N D R I A Trigynia.
Gen. Char. Cat. coloured, in 5 fegments, permanent.
Styles 2 or 3. Seed folitary, angular, inverted with
the calyx.
Spec. Char. Stem Ample, bearing ope fpike. Leaves
ovate, running down into the foot-ftalk.
Syn. Polygonum Biftorta. Linn. Sp. PL 5 16. Hud/. 168.
With. 38 2. Relb. 158 . Sibth. 12 8 . Curt. Lond.
fafc. 1. t. 22. Woodv. Med. Bot. t. 34 .
Biftorta major. Rail Syn. 14 7 .
F 'R O M Batterfea meadows. The plant is moft common in
fertile paftures of the north of England, flowering in June.
The root is perennial, not eafily extirpated: it is fomewhat
flelhy, creeping, generally a little bent or zigzag, whence the
names Bis-torta and fnakeweed, and, being very aftringent, has
been ufed with effeft where medicines of fuch a quality were
wanted. Dr. Woodville informs us the dofe is from a fcruple
to a dram of the root in fubftance.
The Item is quite Ample, ftraight and erect, about a foot and
half high, round, leafy. Leaves ovate, waved, veiny, entire, of
a fine green, fmooth, glaucous beneath, their bafe running
down fo as to render the footftalk winged. The ftalks of the
ftem-leaves are dilated and fheathing. Spike folitary, terminal,
cylindrical, blunt, nearly upright, compofed of a great many
beautiful pink-coloured flowers, having the proper number of
ftamina and ftyles that belongs to the genus, and each Handing
on a flender red flower-ftalk, with a pair of membranous brac-
teae at the bafe. The feed is triangular, black, and Chining.