Genus i. 



AMARANTH FAMILY. 



4. Amaranthus spinosus L. Spiny or Thorny Amaranth. Fig. 1662 



Amaranlhus s^inostis L. Sp. PI. 991. 1753- 



Rather dark green, glabrous or somewhat pubes- 

 cent above, stem stout, erect or ascending, ridged, 

 usually much branched, sometimes red, l-4 high- 

 Leaves ovate, rhombic-ovate or the upper lanceolate, 

 slender-petioled, acute at both ends, 1-3' long, with 

 a pair of rigid stipular spines i'-i' long at each 

 node, the midvein excurrent; flowers monoecious, 

 the pistillate in numerous capitate axillary clusters, 

 mostly shorter than the petioles, the staminate in 

 dense terminal linear-cylindric spreading or droop- 

 ing spikes l'-6' long; bracts lanceolate-subulate 

 about as long as the S scarious oblong mucronate- 

 tipped i-nerved sepals, and the thin imperfectly cir- 

 cumscissile utricle ; stamens 5. 



In waste and cultivated soil. Maine to Minnesota, 

 Florida and Mexico. Naturalized from tropical America. 

 .\ troublesome weed southward. Red amaranth. June- 

 Sept. 



5. Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats. Prostrate Amaranth. Fig. 



A. blitoides S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 12: 



1663. 



Nearly or quite glabrous, rather pale green, stem 

 diffusely branched, prostrate and spreading on the 

 gorund, ridged, 6'-2 long, often forming mats. 

 Leaves obovate or spatulate, i'-l' long, obtuse or 

 acute at the apex, narrowed into slender petioles, 

 sometimes longer than the blades; flowers polyg- 

 amous, in small axillary clusters inostly shorter than 

 the petioles; bracts oblong to lanceolate-subulate, 

 little longer than the 3 to 5 oblong-lanceolate acute or 

 cuspidate sepals ; stamens 3 ; utricle nearly smooth, 

 circumscissile, equalling or slightly longer than the 

 sepals. 



In' waste places, especially along the principal routes 

 of travel, Maine to southern Ontario and North Dakota, 

 south to New Jersey, Missouri and Kansas. Naturalized 

 from west of the Rocky Mountains, where it appears to 

 be indigenous from ^\'ashington to Utah, Colorado and 

 Mexico. lune-Oct. 



6. Amaranthus graecizans L. Tumbl 



Amaranthus graccicaiis L. Sp. PI. 990. 1753. 

 Amaranthus albus L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1404. 1763- 



Glabrous, pale green, stem erect, bushy- 

 branched, whitish, 6-2 tall, the branches slen- 

 der, ascending. Leaves oblong, spatulate or 

 obovate, J'-ii' long, slender-petioled, papil- 

 lose, the midvein excurrent; flowers polyga- 

 mous, several together in small axillary clusters 

 shorter than the leaves, commonly not longer 

 than the petioles; bracts subulate, pungent- 

 pointed, spreading, much longer than the 3 

 iTiembranous sepals; stamens 3; utricle wrinkled, 

 circumscissile, longer than the sepals. 



In waste and cultivated soil, throughout North 

 America, except the extreme north. The leaves fall 

 away in autumn, and on the western plains the plant, 

 thus denuded, is freely uprooted and blown before 

 the wind, whence the popular name. June-Sept. 



