470 CVIIl. AMARANTHACEiE. Amaranthus, 



8. BETA. 



Celtic belt, red ; the usual color of the beet. 



Calyx 5-sepaled ; sta. 5 ; styles 2, very short, erect, -witli acute stig- 

 mas ; seed reuiform, imbedded in the fleshy calyx. — (§) Stems fur roived. 

 Lvs. alternate. Fls. glomerate., green., in spikes or paniculate racemes. 



1. B. VULGARIS. Common Beet. — Fls. in dense, sessile, axillary clusters ; lo^oei 

 lvs. ovate; rt. fleshy. — This useful culinary is said to grow wild in S. Europe 

 Besides its use in salads, pickles, soups, &c., the beet yields sugar equal to that 

 of the cane. There are several varieties, of which the purple-leaved is the 

 most esteemed for the kitchen, and the gi-een-leaved for extracting sugar. Aug. 



2. B. CicLA. Scarcity. — Lvs. with very thick veins ; fls. 3 together ; rts. 

 scarcely any. — Native of Portugal. Root leaves stalked, those of the stem ses- 

 sile. Flowers green, numerous, in very long spikes. A culinary plant, with 

 very large leaves, used as a salad, &c. Aug. 



/?. Mangel-Wurtzel. Rt. very large. — Cultivated as food for cattle, for which 

 purpose it is highly prized by many farmers. 



Order CVII. SCLERANTHACEiE.— Scleranths. 



Hwhs small, inconspiciious, with opposite leaves, no stipules and minute, axillary, sessile flowers. 

 CaL— Tube urceolate, limb 4— 5-toothed. 



Sta inserted on the calyx tube, and usually twice as many as its lobes. 

 Ova. 1, tree, l-seeded. Styles 2 or 1. Fr. a utricle, in ihe hardened calyx. 

 Seed pendulous from the apex of a funiculus which arises from base of cell. 

 Embi-yo curved around farinaceous albumen. 

 Genera 4, species 14, natives of the northern hemisphere. 



SCLERANTHUS. 



Gr. axXripos, hard, av^os, when in fruit, the floral envelope appears hard and dry. 



Calyx persistent, 5-cleft, the tube contracted at the orifice ; sta. 

 1 0, rarely 5 Qr 2 ; styles 2 ; utricle very smooth, enclosed in the calyx. 



S. ANNUus. Comvion Knmoel. 



St. spreading, slightly pubescent; sta. 10; crtZ. o/'^Ae/r. with acute, spread* 

 ing segments. — (T) weed in dry fields and roadsides, N. Eng. and Mid. States. 

 Stems numerous, branching, decumbent, short, ending with leafy clusters of 

 sessile, green flowers. The leaves are numerous, linear, acute, short, opposite, 

 partially united at their basis. Fls. very small, green, in axillary fascicles. JL 



Order CVIII. AMAEANTHACE^.— Amaranths. 



Herts or shrubs, with opposite or alternate leaves, without stipules. 



Fls. in heads or spikes usually colored, generally perfect. 



Cal. — Sepals 3—5, dry and scarious, persistent, generally with dry, colored bracts. 



Sta. 5 or some multiple of 5, distinct or monadelphous, hypogynous. 



Ova. 1, free, 1 or few-ovuleil. Style 1 or none. Stigma, simple or compound. 



Fi: a utricle. Seeds pendulous. Embryo curved around farinaceous albumen. 



Genera 38, species 282, most abundant in warm latitudes. A few of them are cultivated for theirrichly 

 colored, imperishable flowers. Others are mere weeds. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



^Rachis terete or furrowed Amarantfius. 1 



Calternate. (Rachis broad, flat and crest-form. . . • Celosia. ■ 5 



J <, Flowers paniculate Iresine. 2 



1 <, Bracts whitish or greenish. \ Flowers spicate Oplotheca. 3 



Leaves lopposite. I Bracts crimson. Flowers capitate Gomphrena. i 



1. AMARANTHUS. 



Gt. a, not, iiapaivo), to wither; the flowers of some of the species are imperishable. 



Fls. c? 9 ; calyx deeply 3 — 5-parted, mostly colored, persistent ; 

 .segments lanceolate, acute. (^ Stamens 3 — 5. 9 Styles 2 — 3 ; cap 

 Rule 1 -celled, circumscissile ; seed l.-^QIIerbs with alternate leaves. 

 Fls. in axillary/ and terminal clusters, rarely scattered. 



* Plimiers triandrmts. 

 1. A. ALBUS. While Cock's-comb. 

 St. obtusely angular ; tvs. obovate, retuse; fls. triandrous, in small, axillary 



