1- 



Amaraniace^,'] ceylon plants. 247 



CXXV. AMAEANTACE^. ' 



F 



1- CELOSIA, Linn. 



1. C. poly^onoidesj Eetz, (Moquin in DC. Prod, xiii.-ii, p. 238. cum 

 syn.)— c.p. 2240. 



Hab. North of the island, Gardner, 



2. C. pulchella, Moq. L c cum syn. ; Wight, Ic, t. 1768.— c.p. 2238, 

 Hab. Common in the hot, drier parts of the island, 



3. C, argentea, Moq. 1. c. p. 242, cum syn. ; Wight, Ic. t. 1767.— An 

 C cristaice, Moq. 1. c, var. ?— c.p. 2245. 



Hab. Warmer parts of the island. Nom. vulg. " Kirri-handa." 



2. CHAMISSOA, Kunth. 



1. C. nodiflora, Mart. (Moq. in DC. Prod, xiii.-ii. p. 249, cum syn. ; 

 Wight, Ic. 1. 1770.)— C. albida, Moq. h c. cum syn. ; Wight, Ic. t. 1769. 



C, dichotoma, Moq. 1. c. cum syn. ; Wight, Ic. t. 1771. C. esculenta, 



Moq. 1. c. cum syn. An C. aspera, Wight, Ic, t. 1772 ?— c.p. 2244, 

 2726, 3154. 



Hab. Very common in the warmer parts of the island. 



After examining a large series of specimens, I have found it quite impossible to 

 arnve at any other conclusion but that the several plants I have enumerated are mere 

 lorms of one very variable species. The shape of the le-aves and amount of pubes- 

 cence are most inconstant characters ; the seed varies in being more or less minutely 

 punctate; and the whole plant is thin and flaccid, or of tolerably firm consistence. 



um svn. r — c.p. 



3. AMAEANTUS, Tourn. 



(Nom. vulg. *' Tampala.") 



1. A, oleraceus, Eoxb, Fl. Ind. iii. p. 605 ; Wight, Ic. t. 715 (vix 

 Euxolus oleracey^, Moquin in DC. Prod, xiii.-ii. p. 273.)—^. Gauge- 

 itcus, Linn. ; Moq. 1. c, p. 261, cum syn. A. lanceolatus, Hoxb. L c. p. 

 607, — An A. melancholicus. Linn. : Moq. 1. c. p. 262, 



3629. . . M ±' 



Hab. Yery common in native gardens, but hardly indigenous. 



2. A- polygamus, Limi. (Rosb. FL Ind. iii. p. 603; Wight, Ic. t. 



4i^-) — Euxolus polygamus, Moq. 1. e. p. 272.— An A, tristris, Linn. ; 

 Moq. L c. p. 260, cum syn. ; Wight, Ic. tt. 514, 713P— c.r. 3642, 

 Hab. Common in cultivated ground. 



The smaller size and procumbent habit oi A, pohjgamtfs appear to me to be the 

 principal points of distinction between it and A, oleraceus, to which it is extremely 

 closely allied, if it be not indeed a form of it. In my specimens the uiriculi, when 

 perfectly ripe, have the circumscissal dehiscence qI Amaranfus. 



3. A. spinqptis, Linn, (Moq. 1. c. p. 260, cum sym ; Wight, Ic. t* 

 513.-^c.p. 2910. 



Hab. Very abundant in waste places. 



A. frumentaceus, Ham. (an A, crventus^ Linn.?), A. hi/pocJiOiidriacuSy Linn., 

 and-(#. caudatus, Linn., occur as cnltivated plants. All the species of A?t?aranfffs 

 and Enxolus arc used as vegetables by the Cinghalcse. 



