DICOTYLEDONS. 67 



slightly rugose. July-October. An introduced weed in waste 

 ground, 



2. A. sriNOSUs L. Spixy Amakantm. Annual ; stem smooth 

 or slightly pubescent above, stout, erect, much branched, succulent, 

 1-3 ft. tall ; leaves ovate or lanceolate, acute at both ends or some- 

 times emarginate at the apex, blotched with puri)le above, long- 

 petioled, spiny in the axils ; flowers in numerous (lapitate, nearly 

 sessile clusters, the bracts, sepals, and utricle al)Out e(pial in length. 

 June-October. A troublesome weed from tropical America. 



II. FROELICHIA. 



Herbs, annual; stems slender, erect, branching above, 

 woolly ; leaves opposite, entire, exstipulate ; flowers in dense 

 spikes terminating the peduncle-like branches, perfect, o- 

 bracted; calyx tubular, 5-cleft, becoming spiny-tipi)ed in 

 fruit ; stamens 5, united into a tube ; ovary ovoid, stigma 

 capitate or lacerate-fringed ; fruit a 1-seeded utricle enclosed 

 by the calyx. 



F. Floridaxa (Xutt.) ]\Ioq. Fhoelichia. Stem 1-1 ft. tall, 

 white-woolly, erect, branched and leafless above ; lower leaves spatu- 

 late to lanceolate, long-petioled ; stem-leaves sessile and usually linear, 

 entire ; flowering spikes from opposite branches, lengthening with 

 age ; bracts blackish ; calyx very white-woolly. June-September. 

 Dry, sandy ground, especially near the coast. 



34. PHYTOLACCACE^. POKKWKKD FAMILY. 



Herbs or shrubs; leaves simjjle, alternate, entire, exstipu- 

 late; flowers in spikes or racemes; calyx of 4-5 distinct 

 sepals or 4-5-parted ; i)etals none; stamens as many as the 

 se})als and alternate with tluun, or more nunu'rous ; pistil 1. 

 simple or compound, ovules ] in each cell ; fruit (in our sjx'- 

 cies) a berry. 



