132 Amaranthaceae 



lanceolate; sepals acute, 1 or raore of them strongly keeled in 

 fruit; seed about 1 mm. broad, dull, minutely reticulated. 



Frequent in low alkaline places toward the coast. Hyde Park; Mesmer. 



8. SALSOLA L. 



Annual or perennial much-branched herbs, with 

 prickly-pointed leaves and sessile perfect 2-bracteolate 



flowers, solitary in the axils or sometimes several 

 l<>g-etlier. Calyx 5-parted, its segments appendaged by 

 abroad membranous horizontal wingin fruit and enclos- 

 ing the utricle. Stamens 5. Ovary depressed ; styles 2. 

 Utricle flattened, its seed horizontal ; embryo coiled into 

 a conic spiral. 



1. S. Tragus L. Annual, more or less scabrous-pubescent, 

 bushy-branched, the branches slender. 2-6 din. high : leaves and 

 outer bracts usually red at maturity, the former not noticeably 

 swollen at base, linear, somewhat fleshy; calyx membranous, 

 conspicuously veiny, its wings longer than the ascending lobe. 



Occasional along roadsides. Commonly called the Russian thistle. 



Family 2:!. AMARANTHACEAE. Amaranth 

 Family. 



Ours herbs with alternate or opposite, simple mostly 



entire Leaves. Flowers small usually green, perfect or 



unisexual, bracteolate, variously clustered, usually in 



terminal spikes or axillary heads. Calyx herbaceous 



or membranous, 2-5-parted, the segments distinct or 



more or less united. Corolla none. Stamens 1 5, mostly 



opposite the calyx-lobes, hypogynous; anthers L-2-celled. 



Ovary superior, L-celled, with *J •'! stigmas. Fruit a 



utricle, circumscissile or bursting irregularly. Embryo 



annular; endosperm mealy, usually copious. 



Leaves alternate; Bowers unisexual. I. Aramanthos. 



Leaves opposite ; Bowers perfect. - ai.tkknasthkha. 



