Spinacia, DIOECIA PENTANDRIA, 771 
* 
lanceolate, caducous, Spikes terminal, and axillary, pani- 
cled, sub-cylindric, downy. Bractes minute, one-flowered, 
from one to three inches long, and nearly as broad. Stipules 
downy. Flowers numerous, minute, sessile, of a pale greenish 
yellow. Mae. Calyz five-leaved; leaflets oblong, woolly. 
Corol none, Filaments five, twice, or more, longer than 
the calyx, inserted round the base of an hemispheric, hairy 
receptacle. Anthers twin, istil no other than a gland in 
the centre of the receptacle. Frmae. Calyx five-toothed. 
Corol none. Nectary, a yellow, villous ring surrounding 
the base of the germ. Germ obliquely ovate. Style scarcely 
any. Stigma generally of five stellate divisions. Berry, ra- 
- ther drupe in this species, small, round, smooth, when ripe 
of a dark purple, pulp of a pleasant subacid taste. Nut 
single, one-seeded. Embryo inverse, and furnished with a 
perisperm. 
SPINACIA. Schreb. gen. N. 1520. 
Mate. Calyx four or five-parted. Corol none. FEMALE. 
Calyx two, or four-cleft, Corolnone. Styles four, Seed 
one, within the indurated calyx. mbryo annular, with an 
inferior radicle, and furnished with a periapere a 
S. tetrandra, Roxb. 
Annual, erect. Leaves coated lobed. Flowers hispid, 
sessile, the male ones tetrandrous, the female calyx two- 
parted, — 
Hind. aud Beng. Pinnis, 
_ Arab. and Pers. Ispanj, or Ispanaj ; these point out the 
derivation of our generic name, which has been doubtful. 
It is much cultivated in Bengal and the adjoining pro- 
vinces; being a pot-herb held in considerable estimation hg 
the natives. 7 | 
Stem erect, from twelve to twenty-four inches sighed 
smooth, piped, succulent, sometimes saation Leaves al- 
482 
