418 FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM BOTANY, VOL. i. 



Matagalpensis, otherwise impossible from pistillate characters 

 alone. It is found to fall very near to D. polygonoides H. & B., 

 and its related forms, but differing essentially in its oblong 

 perianth lobes, which are not at all auriculate, as is always true 

 of D. polygonoides, in the entire absence of style rudiment, and in 

 the attingent (not discrete) loculae of the anthers. Furthermore, 

 the plant is in every way smaller, with much smaller leaves, 

 slenderer stem, and shorter spikes. 



AMARANTHACE^:. 



During the last decade many new forms of this family have 

 been described from Mexico, Central America and the West 

 Indies, these being chiefly Iresines from Mexico and Central 

 America, and Alternantherae resp. Telantherae from the West 

 Indies. However, a careful study of the specimens in the her- 

 barium at Field Columbian Museum reveals the fact that several 

 forms have nevertheless been overlooked. Owing to the great 

 confusion existing so generally throughout the group, it is with 

 no little hesitation that I undertake to add to the already long 

 list of known and little known species; yet there are certain facts, 

 as will be seen below, pertaining to the relationships of the 

 plants in hand, which seem to sufficiently justify publication. 



Alternanthera Morongii Uline, n. sp. 



Planta prostrata caulibus herbaceis, radicantibus, ramosis- 

 simis, ad articulos plus minus lanatis; foliis glabris longiuscule 

 petiolatis, obovatis vel oblanceolatis, apice rotundatis, leviter 

 mucronatis; capitulis sessilibus, solitariis vel 2 3-ternis, ovato- 

 oblongis vel globosis; floribus minutis, glabris, sepalis membra- 

 naceis, hyalinis exterioribus obscuro trinerviis; cupula brevis- 

 sima, staminodiis subintegris, quam filamentis multo brevioribus; 

 ovario globoso-compresso, stylo subnullo. 



Caules crassi, usque 1.5 mm., ad nodes saepe radiculiferi, su- 

 perne pilosiusculi, pube simplici, inferne glabrescentes, in axillis 

 lanati, internodiis brevibus (i 2.5 cm.). Folia opposita utrinque 

 glabra, alterum sterile alterum fertile, i 2 cm. longa, basi in 

 petiolum attenuata. Capitula 4 mm. diametro, densiflora; rachis 

 inter flores subglabra; bracteae oblongae, apice acutae (nee arista- 

 tae), i mm. longae, glabrae. Flores dorso convexi, ventre plani. 

 Sepala exteriora ovato-oblonga, acuta, interiora augustiora, later- 



