GIO MONOECiA PENTANDRiA. Amaratithus. 



Mysore and Coimbetoie countries, where the natives call it 

 Kienj, and cultivate it tor the seed which they convert into 

 flour, and which forms a great part of their subsistence. 



In the Botanic garden forty square yards of ground, sown 

 with this plant in June, yielded twenty-one pounds weight of 

 the clear ripe seed in September. It also grows well during 

 the cold season, viz. from October till February inclusive. 



Root annual. Stem erect, often an inch or more in diame- 

 ter, with numerous, erect branches from every part, more or 

 less striated, otherwise perfectly smooth, colour from green 

 to pretty deep red; height of the Avhole plant from one to 

 seven feet according to the season. Leaves alternate, pretty 

 long-petioled, from oblong to broad-lanceolar, acute, various- 

 ly coloured like the stem and branches. Panicles terminal, 

 each branch of the plant ending in a straight sub-cylindric 

 one, composed of many appressed, crowded spikes. In short, 

 the whole plant is so loaded with the inflorescence, as to ap- 

 pear almost a single, large panicle. Calyx longer than the 

 stamens; leaflets in both male and female with subulate 

 points. Male FLOWERS with five stamina. The female ones 

 with from two to three styles. Capsule rugose. Seed solitary, 

 round, a little compressed, pellucid with a white margin. 



IG. A. cruenius. Willd. iv. 892. 



Erect, famous, from four to six feet high. Leaves long- 

 petioled, broad lanceolar. Pawic/es terminal, crowded with 

 erect, compound, and decompound branches. Calyx of five 

 rather obtuse leaflets, which are shorter than the capsules. 



A large, stout, ramous, erect, gaudy species ; which blos- 

 soms earlier in the rains than the ornamental sorts, and does 

 not vary in colour in our gardens in India ; being of a pale 

 green tinged with red, and the panicles which are from one to 

 two feet long, crimson. The leaves are very remarkable for 

 being concave, like a spoon, either on the upper or under side, 

 occasioned by the margin being considerably contracted. 



