Synthesis and X-ray structure of a new bismuth dipicolinate cooordination polymer, {[Bi((2,6-O 2 C) 2 C 5 H 3 N)((2-HO 2 C-6-O 2 C)C 5 H 3 N)(H 2 O)] 2 .5H 2 O} n (7) are presented. Compound 7 has dimeric units with a Bi 2 O 2 skeleton that are linked by additional weak Bi-O interactions leading to a polymeric structure. The overall coordination number at bismuth is 9 [two Bi-N and seven Bi-O bonds]. New routes to a second crystalline modification (4 ) of the previously reported coordination polymer, bismuth tris(picolinate), [Bi(2-O 2 C-C 5 H 4 N) 3 ] n (4), are described; bond parameters in the two crystalline forms (4 and 4 ) are compared. In both the compounds 4 and 7, bismuth has a distorted tricapped trigonal prismatic geometry.