beautifulflowers032840mbp

142 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS OF KASHMIR [Plate 85
Figs. 4 and 5. Polygonum amplexicaule, Don.
(Amplexicaule means stem- clasping, alluding to the upper leaves of
the plant.)
A nearly glabrous, erect herb. Kootstock stout, woody,
branched. Stems tufted, 2-3 ft. high, slender. Lower leaves
3-6 in. long, few, long-stalked, egg-shaped, heart-shaped, longpointed,
crenate, upper leaves stem-clasping. Stipules tubular,
1-2 in. long, narrow, tips torn. Flowering stems 2-3 ft. high.
Flowers pink or deep red, varying to white, i-i in. diameter,
crowded in 1 or 2 erect racemes 2-6 in. long. Bracts flat,
membranous, hairless, egg-shaped, sharp-pointed. Perianth
5-parted. Stamens 8, anthers protruding. Styles 3, free,
long, slender. Nut 3-angled, smooth, shining.
Flowers. June, July.
Locality. Near Shirazia Bagh, on top of hill in rocky and
gravelly soil ; Gulmarg, rough hill-sides, nalas and round the
edges of fields, 6,000 ft., common
; Gangabal.
Distribution. Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir (6,000-
8,000 ft.) to Sikkim (9,000-13,000 ft.).
Fig. 6.
Polygonum affine, Don.
Rootstock woody, long, branched, 4-8 in. long, crown clothed
with membranous old stipules. Stems hairless, densely tufted.
Flowering stems 4-12 in. high. Leaves chiefly radical, 2-4 in.
long, stalkless or short-stalked, linear- or elliptic-lance-shaped,
or inversely lance-shaped, crenate, bluish-green beneath,
margins bent back ;
stem leaves few. Stipules i-1 in. long,
entire or split, many-nerved, brown. Kacemes 2-3 in. long,
stout, erect. Flowers crowded, almost erect, rosy, i-J in.
diameter. Sepals elliptic-oblong. Styles free, slender. Nuts
3-angled.
Flowers. July, August.
Locality. Aporwat, hill-sides and watercourses, above
10,000 ft., common, growing in masses ;
Iskardo.
Distribution. Alpine and subalpine Himalaya, from Kashmir
(8,000-14,000 ft.) to Kumaon (11,000-13,000 ft.).
Pig. 7. Polygonum perpusillum,
Hook. f.
(Perpusillum means very small, tiny.)
A dwarf, tufted, hairless plant. Rootstock stout, clothed
with membranous torn stipules. Radical leaves almost stalkless,
narrowly linear, blunt, quite entire, margins recurved,
i-i by -gr^ in., spreading. Stipules tubular, not ciliate.
Flowering stem very slender, 1-leafed, i-li in. high, erect.