AMARANTACEjE. 67 



11. ALTERNANTHERA, Forsk. 



(Telanthera, R. Br. Alternanthera, sect. Allaganthera, Moq., et 

 Telanthera, sect. Bucholzia, Moq.) 



Sepals 5, at length not enveloped within wool. Stamens 3-5 : anthers oval ; basilar 

 cnpule short. Stigma subsessile, capitate (or subemarginate). Pericarp utricular, obeordate, 

 margined upwards, and exceeding the seed. — Herbs; leaves tapering at the base; flowers 

 capitate, forming subglobose, axillary and terminal, mostly sessile heads. 



Sect. 1. Allaganthera. — Stamens 3, fertile, opposite the outer sepals, and two sterile 

 filaments, opposite the inner ones : cupule-teeth none (or obsolete). 



16. A. sessilis, R. Br. Annual, creeping and branched at the base; stems ascending, 

 with two lines of hairs, or glabrescent ; leaves quite entire, obovate-Janceolate or lanceolate, 

 usually glabrous : axils pilose ; flower-heads sessile, white ; sepals uninerved, glabrous, three 

 tunes exceeding the bracts, and subexceeded by the pericarp ; staminal eupule very short, 

 toothless (with the exception of the sterile filaments). — Wight, Ic. t. 727- — Stems spitha- 

 meous : internodes exceeding the spreading leaves ; flowers f '" long. — Hab. Trinidad !, Schach, 

 Cr., common along roads ; Caribbean Islands ! ; [Haiti to Guiana !, Brazil !, Buenos Ayres !, 

 Niger !, Nubia !, Egypt !, TaMsch !, East Indies !]. 



Sect. 2. Telanthera. Stamens alternating with the teeth of the eupule, 5, all fertile 

 (sometimes 2 of them castrate ). 



17- A. polygonoides, R. Br. Perennial, glabrous or pubescent ; branches elongated, 

 distant ; leaves elliptical-lanceolate, shortly petioled ; flower-heads sessile, white ; sepals of 

 unequal length, exterior pungent, twice exceeding the lateral, spreading, pungent bracts, 

 hispid on the back, 3-costate: lateral nerves converging above the middle; teeth of the 

 staminal eupule prominent, cut at the top, equalling or exceeding the stamens ; pericarp in- 

 cluded.— £/. t. 86./. 2 : a Linn, citat. Mart. Nov. Gen. t. 148-151.— Illecebrum, L. Bu- 

 cholzia, Mart. Telanthera, Moq. (exclus. var. Q. — A very variable, herbaceous plant, with 

 the internodes exceeding the leaves, higher than the similar A. sessilis, either erect or de- 

 cumbent; flower-heads 2"'-3'" diam.: flowers l§"'-2"' long. 



«. Stem pubescent -or villous ; leaves pubescent beneath : younger organs whitish with 

 down. — Telanthera crucis, Moq. Alternanthera leucantha, Moq. — Tel. martinicensis, Moq., 

 is perhaps also a form of this, with rounded leaves. 



&. glabrescens. Stem and leaves glabrous or glabrescent : axils pilose ; sepals less hispid. 



T. ficoidea, Moq.! (exclus. synon.). — Alternanthera tenella, Colla (in Mem. Turin. 33. 

 t- 9), is probably the same form ; but in the analysis (perhaps by mistake) the sepals are 

 represented as of equal length. 



Hab. Jamaica!, Alex., Wils. (a, j8), March (a and j8), common; Caribbean Islands and 

 Trinidad !, Cr. ; [Cuba to Bueuos Ayres]. 



18. A. ficoidea, R. Br. Perennial, prostrate, radicant, glabrous; leaves oblanceolate, 

 venulose, glabrous : axils villous ; flower-heads sessile, white ; sepals of equal length, pointed, 

 nearly twice exceeding the bracts, pilose below on the back (or glabrescent), 3(-5)-costate: 

 lateral nerves joined with the midrib at the middle ; teeth of the staminal eupule prominent, 

 cnt at the top, usually shorter than the stamens ; pericarp included. — Jacq. Amer. Pict. t. 90: 

 « Linn, citat. Mart. Nov. Oen. t. 147. — Illecebrum, L. Bucholzia maritima, Mart. (Te- 

 lanthera, Moq.). Telanthera polygonoides, var. compacta, Moq.! — The old creeping stems 

 become elongated and woody, prostrate with all their crowded, short branches ; flower-heads 

 shining, 3"'-4'" diam.: flowers nearly 2'" long.— Hab. Jamaica!, List.; Caribbean Islands, 

 chiefly on the sandy seashore ; [Cuba ! and Mexico ! to Buenos Ayres ! along the east coast, 

 west coast of Africa]. 



19. A Achyrantha, R. Br. Perennial; stem decumbent, leafy, pilose; leaves obovate 

 or oval, venulose, glabrous ; flower-heads sessile, straw-coloured or whitish ; sepals of un- 

 equal length, exterior mucrouate, subpungent, exceeding the bracts, villous below on the 

 back, 3-coslate: lateral nerves joined with the midrib at the middle; teeth of the staminal 

 tube short, subulate, entire, exceeded by the stamens; pericarp included.— Dill. Elth. 1. 1. 



r 2 



