72 



2. AMARANTHUS HYPOCHONDRIACUS. 



prince's feather. 



Tins genus comprises many plants of the Prince's Fenfher kind. 

 They are universally herbaceous annuals, several of ihem being highly 

 beaulifuland curious. They are likewise sometimes dislinguishctl 

 by the lilies of Flower Gentle, Love-lies-bleeding, &c. 



It beloniis to the class and order Moiuvcia Pcntonilria, and ranks 

 in the natural order of Miscellanea'. 



The characlers arc : that those species which have male flowcre 

 on ihe same plants v.ilh the females have a calyx, which is a five 

 or three-leaved perianlhium, upright, coloured, and permanent; the 

 leaflels lanceolale, and acute: no corolhi: the slamina have five or 

 three capillary filaments, from upright patulous, of the length of the 

 calyx, the anlhera^ oblong and versatile. Of those which have female 

 flowers in the same raceme with the males, the calyx is a perianlhium 

 the same with the former: no corolla: the pistillum has an ovate 

 germ; the styles three, short and subulate: stigmas simple and per- 

 manent: the pericarpium is an ovate capsule, somewhat compressed, 

 as is also the calyx on which it is j)laced, coloured, and of the same 

 size; three-beaked, one-ceiled, cut open transversely: the seed is 

 single, globular, compressed, and large. 



'J"he species that demand attention for the purpose of cultivation 

 are very numerous, but those most generally cultivated are: 1. A. 

 mclancliulicus. Two-coloured Amaranthus; 2. A. tricolor, Three-co-, 

 loured Amaranthus; 3. A. sanguineus. Spreading or Bloody Ama- 

 ranthus; 4. .'i. caiidatus. Pendulous Amaranthus, or Love-lies-bleed- 

 ing; 5. yJ. /«o.}7'//?»s. Tree Amaranthus; 6. /J. c;v«7//«s. Various-leaved 

 Auiaranthus; 7- A. In/jwc/iondriacus, Prince's-feather Amaranthus. 



