AMARANTHACEAE. 



121 



1. Achyranthes maritima (St. Hil.) 

 Standley. BEACH ALTERNANTHERA. (Fig. 

 140.) Plants glabrous, fleshy. Stems or 

 the branches prostrate, 8'-2i long, angled, 

 branched ; leaves leathery, cuneate to oblong 

 or elliptic, '-2?' long, obtuse, commonly 

 mucronate, entire, sessile or somewhat 

 petioled ; spikes dull straw-colored, 3"-6" 

 long, sessile, leaving a conspicuous scar 

 when detached ; bracts ovate, keeled ; calyx 

 J longer than the bracts; sepals rigid, ovate, 

 acute and slightly awn-tipped, usually 5- 

 nerved, glabrous; staminodia longer than 

 the filaments, cleft or lacerate at the tip. 

 [Alternanthera maritima St. Hil.] 



Beaches, Long Bird Island, 1908. Southern 

 Florida, Bahamas, South America. Flowers in 

 spring. Transported to Bermuda by floating. 



Achyranthes polygonoides (L.) K.Br. 

 KNOTWEED ACHYRANTHES, West Indian, 

 recorded by Reade as growing in the Public 

 Park prior to 1883, has spreading stems and 

 branches, spatulate obtuse leaves about 1' long, and bright white flower-heads 

 i' in diameter, sessile in the axils. 



Achyranthes amabilis (Lemaire) Britton, BEAUTIFUL ACHYRANTHES, 

 Brazilian, planted for borders in flower gardens, has oblong or oblong-lanceo- 

 late, more or less red-blotched leaves l'-3' long. [Alternanthera amabilis 

 Lemaire.] 



Achyranthes Bettzickiana (Regel) Britton, BETTZICK'S ACHYRANTHES, 

 also Brazilian and planted for borders, has spatulate to ovate red to green 

 leaves l'-2' long, with long margined petioles. [Telanthera Bettsickiana Regel.] 



Celosia cristata L., COCKSCOMB, of tropical regions, cultivated in flower 

 gardens, is a stiff, erect annual about 2 high, with glabrous, ovate, petioled 

 leaves 2' 3' long, cordate at the base, often variegated ; its spikes of flowers are 

 confluent into flat crested structures sometimes very broad, red, purple or 

 violet to yellow. It is supposed to be a crested race of Celosia argentea L., a 

 common tropical weed. 



Iresine Herbstii Hook., HERBST'S IRESINE, South American, recorded by 

 Lefroy as grown in Bermuda gardens, is shrubby, li-3 high, with nearly 

 orbicular, slender-petioled, emarginate, purple or red leaves l'-3' broad and 

 very small and numerous flowers in panicles. 



Family 4. PHYTOLACCACEAE Lindl. 

 POKEWEED FAMILY. 



Herbs (some tropical species shrubs or trees) with alternate entire 

 mostly estipulate leaves, and perfect regular polygamous or monoecious 

 flowers. Calyx 4-5-parted or of 4 or 5 sepals, its segments or sepals im- 

 bricated in the bud. Petals wanting. Stamens as many as the calyx- 

 segments or sepals and alternate with them, or more numerous, hypogynous ; 



