AMARANTIIACF.AK. 



Vol. II. 



Amaranthus retroflexus L 



Green iVmaraiUh, Red Root. Fig. 1659. 



Amaranthus rclroflexus L. Sp. PI. 991. 1753. 



Roiigliish-piiberulent, rather light green, stem 

 stout, erect or ascending, commonly branched, l- 

 10 tall. Leaves ovate, rhombic-ovate or the upper 

 lanceolate, slender-petioled, acute or acuminate at 

 the apex, narrowed or acuminate at the base, the 

 larger 3'-6' long, their margins undulate or entire ; 

 flowers green, polygamous, densely aggregated in 

 terminal and axillary spikes, which are sessile, stout, 

 obtuse or siibacute, ovoid-cylindric, erect or ascend- 

 ing, V-2J' long, 4"-/" thick ; bracts subulate, twice 

 as long as the 5 scarious narrowly oblong or slightly 

 spatulate mucronate-tipped obtuse or often emar- 

 ginate sepals ; stamens 5 ; utricle slightly wrinkled, 

 thin, circumscissile, rather shorter than the sepals. 



A weed, in cultivated and waste soil, throughout North 

 America, north to Nova Scotia, North Dakota and Wash- 

 ington. Also in Europe. Naturalized from tropical 

 America, Rough pigweed. Aug.-Oct. 



2. Amaranthus hybridus L. Spleen Amaranth. Pilewort. Fig. 1660. 



1 790. 



Amaranthus hybridus L. Sp. PI. 990. 1753. 

 Amaranthus hypoclwndriacus L. Sp. PI. 991. 1753. 

 A. clilorostachys Willd. Amaranth. 34. pi. 10. t. ig. 

 A. paniculatus L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1406. 1763. 



Similar to the preceding species but darker green, 

 or purple, pubescent or nearly glabrous; stem usually 

 slender, erect, usually branched, 2-S tall. Leaves 

 bright green on both sides or paler beneath, usually 

 smaller, slender-petioled ; spikes linear-cylindric, axil- 

 lary and forming dense terminal panicles, ascending, 

 somewhat spreading or drooping; bracts awned or 

 awn-tipped, twice as long as the 5 oblong acute or 

 cuspidate sepals; stamens 5; utricle scarcely wrinkled, 

 circumscissile. 



A weed, in waste grounds, range nearly of the preceding 

 species, its races differing in color, pubescence and length 

 of the awns of the bracts. Naturalized from tropical Amer- 

 ica. Slender pigweed. Red amaranth or cockscomb. 

 Prince's-feather.' Flower-gentle. Careless. Floramor. 

 Aug.-Oct. 



Wats. 



1661. 



Palmer's 



3. Amaranthus Palmeri S. 

 Amaranth. Fig. 



A. Palmeri S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 12: 274. 1876. 



Somewhat resembling the two preceding species, 

 stem erect, slender, branched, 2-3 tall, usually pubes- 

 cent above. Leaves ovate, rhombic-ovate or the 

 upper lanceolate, blunt at the apex, narrowed at 

 the base, prominently veined, slender-petioled, the 

 lower petioles often longer than the blades; flowers 

 polygamous or dioecious, borne in elongated erect 

 or drooping spikes often 1 long or more, and some 

 of them commonly in small clusters in the upper 

 axils ; bracts subulate, spiny-awned, spreading, twice 

 as long as the sepals; sepals 5, spatulate, clawed; 

 utricle dry, circumscissile. 



In dry soil. Missouri and Kansas to Texas and in east- 

 ern Massachusetts. Adventive. Native from New 

 Mexico to California and Chihuahua. June-Sept. 



Amaranthus caudatus L.. with long dense red nod- 

 ding terminal spikes, has been found in waste grounds 

 in Connecticut. 



