>s 



AMARAXTHACEAE. 127 



long, somewhat longer than the lanceolate bracts; staminodia about as long as 

 the filaments, toothed to the apex; utricle obcordate, included. 



Sandy waste places. Great Bahama, New Providence, Grand Turk and Inagua : 

 southeastern United States ; Cuba to St. Thomas and to Barbadoes ; Jamaica ; con- 

 tinental tropical America. Knutweed Achyranthes. 



3. Achyranthes repens L. Sp. PI. 205. 1753. 



Alternanthera Achyrantha R. Br. Prodr. 417. 1810. 

 Alternanthera repens Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 540. 1891. 



Loosely pilose, branched, the branches prostrate, 5 dm. long or less. 

 Leaves spatulate, or obovate to oval or suborbicular, 2 cm. long or less, pin- 

 nately veined, obtuse or abruptly tipped, narrowed at the base into short peti- 

 oles; flowers in dense sessile globose or oblong heads 6-12 mm. long; sepals 

 dull whitish, unequal, about 2 mm. long, longer than the bracts, the outer 

 aristate, villous; staminodia somewhat shorter than the filaments, entire, or few- 

 toothed below; utricle ovoid, included. 



Waste places and cultivated lands, Abaco, St. George's Cay, New Providence, 

 Eleuthera and Long Island : South Carolina to Florida, Texas and California ; 

 Cuba to St. Thomas and to South America ; Mexico to Panama, Peru and Argen- 

 tina ; Canary Islands ; Madeira ; Spain. Creeping Achyranthes. Washerwoman. 



5. LITHOPHILA Sw. Prodr. 14. 1788. 



Perennial, more or less villous herbs, the leaves mostly in basal tufts, the 

 small perfect braeteolate flowers in spikes or heads. Calyx flattened, 5- 

 parted, sessile. Stamens 2; filaments connate below; anthers 2-celled; stami- 

 nodia 3. Ovary ovoid; style short; stigmas 2, slender; ovule 1, pendulous. 

 Utricle ovoid, compressed. Seed lenticular, smooth. [Greek, rock-loving. J 

 About 4 species, of the West Indies and Galapagos, the following typical. 



1. Lithophila muscoides Sw. Prodr. 14. 1788. 



Achyranthes linearifolia Sw. Yet. Acad. Handl. 1825: 48. 1825. 



Root woody, often deep; stems few or several, prostrate or ascending, 

 villous, branched, 01.-2 dm. long. Basal leaves several or many, tufted, filiform 

 to oblong-spatulate, 1.5-5 cm. long, 0.3-5 mm. wide, obtuse, villous near the 

 base; cauline leaves few, similar but smaller, glabrous; spikes 3-15 mm. long, 

 about 5 mm. thick, solitary or clustered, terminal or axillary, sessile or nearly 

 so; bracts white, membranous, ovate, acute or acuminate, about one-half as 

 long as the sepals; bractlets similar, nearly a3 long as the sepals; sepals oblong, 

 1-2.5 mm. long, the outer obtuse, villous at the base, the inner acute; seed 

 nearly orbicular, brown, shining, 0.5 mm. in diameter. 



In trodden sands of roadside paths, and in rocky and sandy soil, throughout 

 tho archipelago from Great Bahama to Grand Turk and Ambergris Cay : Cuba to 

 St. Croix, Anegada and Martinique; Bonaire; Curacao. Moss-like Lithophila. 



6. PHILOXERUS R. Br. Prodr. 416. 1810. 



Herbs, mostly fleshy, with opposite entire leaves, the perfect braeteolate 

 flcwers in dense heads or short spikes. Calyx compressed, thickened at the 

 base, 5-parted, the segments obtuse. Stamens 5; filaments subulate, connate 

 below ; anthers oblong, 2-celled. Ovary ovoid, compressed ; style short ; stig- 

 mas 2, subulate; ovule suspended on a long funicle. Utricle compressed. 



