AMARANTHACE^. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 207. 



GOMPHRENA. 



Bractlets 2, coloured, carinate, enveloping the 5 sepals. Tube 

 of stamens 5-cleft ; segments 2- or 3-cleft or denticulate, having 

 in their middle cylindrical 1 -celled anthers. Style single ; stig- 

 mas 2, cylindrical. Utricle closed, 1 -seeded. 



718. G. officinalis Mart, nov.gen.and sp. ii. t. 101, 102. Aug. 

 de St. Hil.pl. us. No. 31. — South and middle of Brazil. 



Root perennial, tuberous, sometimes as large as the fist, rather 

 woody internally. Stems ascending, from a span to a foot high, reddish- 

 green, very hairy or shaggy. Leaves in 3 or 4 pairs on each stem, 

 ovate or oval, short stalked, mucronulate, shaggy like the stems. 

 Flowers capitate, deep-red, shining. Heads terminal, sometimes as much 

 as 3 inches in diameter, hemispherical, compact, surrounded by an 

 involucre of several rows of acute bracts. An external bractlet to each 

 flower, long, acuminate-triangular, dry, membranous, scarlet in the 

 middle ; inner bractlets deep scarlet. Calyx of the same colour. — 

 The Brazilians employ the root for nearly the same purposes as Aristo- 

 lochia Serpentaria is employed in North America; it appears to be a 

 stimulating tonic. The thick clubshaped root is chiefly used in spasms, 

 dyspepsy, intermittent fevers, diarrhoea, &c, and is called Paratodo. 



718 a- * Amaranthus viridis L. and melancholicus L. respect- 

 ively called Carurii and Caruru vermelho in Brazil, are used in 

 that country for emollient poultices. 



* * Amaranthus obtusifolius is mentioned as a diuretic : but such a 

 species is not to be found in systematical works. 



CHENOPODIACE^. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 208. 



CHENOPODIUM. 



Calyx inferior, in 5 deep, ovate, concave, permanent segments, 



membranous at the edges. Filaments awl-shaped, opposite to 



the segments, and about as long. Anthers of 2 round lobes. 



Ovary orbicular, depressed. Styles short. Stigmas obtuse. Seed 



347 



