Flora Medica

POLYGONUM.Nut solitary, either triangular or compressed, pointed. Embryoenveloped in farinaceous albumen.747. P. Hydropiper Linn. sp. pi. 5 1 7. Eng. Bot. t. 989. Fl.Lond. t. 26. Eng. Fl. ii. 235. Common in ditches and wateryplaces.Root fibrous, whorled, as in most of the genus. Herb smooth. Stemerect, 2 feet high, branched, round, more or less red and shining, swelledabove each joint. Leaves lanceolate, undulated, stalked, pale shininggreen, without spots. Stipules fringed with unequal bristles, veryobscurely ribbed. Clusters terminal, long and slender, curved, interrupted,leafy in their lower parttheir ; partial flower-stalks erect,close, accompanied by tubular, sheathing, abrupt, coloured bracteas.Calyx 4- or 5-cleft, variegated with red, white and green, covered withglandular dots, such as are scattered more or less universally, over thewhole herbage, and in which its acrid quality resides. Stamens 6,rarely 8. Styles united nearly half way up. Stigmas capitate, oftenred, sometimes 3. Fruit compressed, purplish black. Leaves so acridas to act as vesicants. It is reputed to be a powerful diuretic, but tolose its activity by drying, on which account it requires to be used fresh.Will dye wool yellow.748. P. Bistorta Linn. sp. pi. 516. Eng. Bot. t. 509. Fl.Lond. t. 22. Woodv. t. 34. Eng. FL ii. 236. Pastures andmeadows, especiallyin the north. (Bistort.)"Root creeping, fleshy, or rather woody, often bent or zigzag, powerfullyastringent. Stems or 2solitary, simple, erect, straight, leafy, \\feet high, round, striated, smooth. Leaves smooth, ovate, wavy, bluntish,glaucous beneath radical ones somewhat; heart-shaped, andnevertheless decurrent, making a narrow wing to their footstalks.Footstalks of the stem-leaves tubular and sheathing, each crownedwith a membranous jagged stipula. Cluster terminal, leafless, erect,cylindrical, dense, many-flowered, interspersed with membranous,notched, brown, bracteas. Partial stalks simple, very slender. Calyxrose-coloured, deeply 5-cleft, obtuse, spreading. Stamens 8, longerthan the calyx. Styles quite distinct, with small obtuse stigmas. Fruittriangular, black and shining. Smith. A powerful astringent. Thedecoction may be employed in gleet and leucorhcea, as an injection ;asa gargle in relaxed sore throat and spongy gums, and as a lotion toulcers attended with excessive discharge. Internally it has been employed,combined with gentian, in intermittents. It may also be usedin passive haemorrhages and diarrhoea. Percira.749. P. aviculare Linn. sp. 519. Eng. Bot. 1. 1252. Fl. Lond.t. 27- Eng. FL ii. 238. Common every where in sandy wasteplaces, hard beaten gravel walks, &c.(Knot grass.)Root fibrous, long, very tough, and somewhat woody, branchedbelow, simple at the crown. Stems several, spreading in every direction,generally prostrate, much branched, round, striated, leafyat thenumerous knots or joints. Leaves alternate, stalked, hardly an inchlong, elliptic or lanceolate, entire, obtuse, single-ribbed, smooth exceptat the margin, tapering at the base, very variable in width ; their sub-361