AMARANTHACEa:. 320 AMARANTHDS. 



ORDER CIX. SCLERANTHACE^. TheKnawd Tribe. 



Cat. — Tube uroeolate, limb 4 — 5-toothed. 



Sta. — Inserted on llie calyx tube, and usually twice as many as its lobes. 

 Ova. — 1, free, 1-seeded. Styles^ or 1. Ft. a utricle, in the hardened calyx. 

 S«frf pendulous from the apex of a funiculus which arises from base of cell. 

 Embryo curved around farinaceous albumen. 



A small order of worthless weeds, nativesof the northern hemisphere. Leaves opposite, 

 exstipulate. 



SCLRRA'NTHUS. 



Calyx persistent, 5 cleft, the tube contracted at the orifice; 



stamens 10, rarely 5 or 2 ; styles 2; utricle very smooth, 



enclosed in the calyx. 



Gr. o-x.Xi]go«, hard, and av^os, flower J when in seed, the floral envelope 

 appears hard and dry. 



S. a'nnuus. 



Siem spreading, slightly pubescent; stamens 10; calyx of the fruit with 

 acute, spreading segments. A weed in dr)' fields and roadsides. 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. Flowers very small, green, in axillary 

 fascicles. July. Ann, Common Knawel. 



ORDER ex. AMARANTHACE.E. The Jimaramh Tribe. 



Cat. — Sepals 3 — 5, dry and scarious, presisteni, generally with dry, colored bracts. 

 Sta. — 5 or some multiple of 5, distinct or monadelphouS; hypogynous. 

 Ova. — 1, free, 1 or few-ovuled. Style 1 or none. Stigma siinple or compound. 

 Ft. — A utricle. Seeds pendulous. Embryo curved around farinaceous albumen. 



Herbs, with opposite or alternate leaves destitute of stipules. The species are most 

 abundant in warm latitudes. A few of them are cultivated for their richly colored, im- 

 perishable flowers. Others are worthless weeds. 



Consjjcctus of the Genera. 



( Flowers rnoncecious. Amaranthus. 1 ■ 



f alternate. | Flowers perfect, pentandrous Celosia. 3 



opposite. Flowers perfect, pentandrous, capitate. . . . Gompkrena. 2 



1. AMARA'NTHUS. 

 Flowers monoecious. Sterile fl. — Calyx 3-!eaved ; stamens 

 3 — 5. Fertile f. — Calyx 3-leaved ; styles 3; utricle bursting 

 by a circumscissile dehiscence. 



Gr. a-, privative, and jw.agan'iW, to wither ; because the flowers of most of the 

 species retain their bright colors when dead. Herbs, mostly annual, with 

 alternate leaves. Fertile and sterile flowers in the same cluster. 



* Flowers triandrous. 

 1, A. ALBUS. 



Stem obtusely angular ; leaves obovate, retuse ; fiowers triandrous, in small, 

 axillary clusters. A common garden weed, 1 — 2 (ieet high, simple or branched. 

 Leaves entire, varying from oval to obovate, eniarginate, with a mucronate 

 point, tapering to a petiole wliich is nearly as long as the blade, those upon the 

 branches very small. F"lowers inconspicuous, pale green, accompanied with 

 numerous, setaceous-pointed bracts. July. White Coxcomt. 



