Amaranthvft AMARANTHACEAE Celosia 



Key to the Species 



a. Plants not spiny. 



b. Bracts and sepals setaceous. 



Spikes of the infl. slender and well developed, especially at 

 the tips of the bis.: lvs. larger below; the blades usually 



with acute or acuminate tips 1 . A. cruentus 



Spikes of the infl. mostly in axillary clusters, occurring 

 down to the base of the plant, not strongly developed 

 at the tips of the brs.: lvs. larger above; the blades 

 usually obtuse or notched at the tips. 

 Plant diffusely brg. and procumbent, grown as a If. vege- 

 table 2 . A . mangostanus 



Plant stout and erect : lvs. often colored brownish purple 



or red : grown as an ornamental 3. A. tricolor 



bb. Bracts and sepals not setaceous : If. blades ovate, obtuse, or 



notched at the tips 4 . A. viridis 



aa. Plant spiny 5. A. spinosus 



1. Amaranthus cruentus Linn. Purple Amaranth SfitHL (Ya Ku Hsien; Crow-grain 

 Amaranth) (G.M.602). Coarse herb; fls. tinged reddish, VII-IX. Tropical coun- 

 tries; locally in An., Che., Ku. Roadside weed. 



2. Amaranthus mangostanus Linn. jf[5jg (Hsien Ts'ai) (H.F.4:720). Erect herb; fls. 

 VIII. Eastern Asia; locally in Ku. Grown for its leaves. Regarded by Dr. 

 Jonathan Sauer as probably not specifically distinct from A. tricolor. 



3. Amaranthus tricolor Linn. ftH${5|I (Yen Lai Hung; Red-when-the-wild-geese-come) 

 (B.M.355). Stout herb, to 1.5 m.; fls. reddish, VIII. Tropical Asia; locally in 

 Ku. Cultivated, ornamental. Fig. 81. 



4. Amaranthus viridis Linn. WM (Yeh Hsien: Wild Amaranth) (M.F.193). Slender 

 herb; fls. green, VI-IX. Tropical countries; locally in Che., Ku. Common weed. 



5. Amaranthus spinosus Linn. Thorny Amaranth MJi (Tz'u Hsien) (G.M.603). 

 Erect herb, to lm.; fls. green, VI-IX. Tropical countries; locally in Ku. 

 Common weed. 



2. Celosia Linn. $%MM (Chi Kuan Shu) 

 Coarse annuals: stems terminated by dense chaffy spikes: spikes sometimes 

 enlarged and highly colored; the stem often fasciated to form a "cockscomb": 

 filaments united at the base: fr. 2- or more-seeded. About 40 species, in the warm 

 countries of the world; 2 or 3 species in China. (Greek: kelos, burned, because of 

 the appearance of the infl.) 



Key to the Species 



Spikes of the infl. conical to oblong, white or pink 1. C. argentea 



Spikes of the infl. fasciate, convolute, cristate or feathered; in color rang- 

 ing from white and yellow to purple and red 1. a. C. argentea 



var. cristata 



1. Celosia argentea Linn, ffff (Ch'ing Hsiang) (G.M.601) Erect herb, 1-1.5 m. tall; 



fls. white or pink, VII-IX. Tropical Asia; locally in An., Ki., Ku. Field weed, 

 l.a. Celosia argentea Linn. var. cristata (L.) Ktze. Cockscomb H^ (Chi Kuan) 



(G.M.601). Erect herb, 1-1.5 m. high; fls. white or red. Tropical Asia; locally in 



An., Ki., Ku. Grown for ornament. Fig. 82. 



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