Amarantus.'l Amarantacece . 395 



rather common. Var. /3 much the commoner. Fl. November- March; 

 white. 



Also in India, China, and Malaya. 



The Fl. B. Ind. keeps up A. albida^ Br. as a separate species, but the 

 characters are merely comparative. (The name albida should be dropped 

 for this, as Celosia albida, Willd., was based on C. pyratmdalis, Burm., 

 whose figure (Fl. Ind. t. 25, f. i) represents a form of C. argentea). 



3. DIG-ERA, Forsk. 

 Annual, 1. alt., fl, sessile, in threes (the 2 lateral reduced to 

 laciniate scales), arranged in lax axillary spikes ; per.-leaves 5 

 (or 4), the 2 outer longer; stam, 5, fil. distinct, staminodes o; 

 stigmas 2, ovule erect ; fruit hard, indehiscent, i -seeded. — 

 Monotypic. 



D. arvensis, Forsk. Fl. ALgypt-Arab. 65 (1775). Togrgril, T. 



Achyranthes muricata, L., Moon Cat. 18. Thw. Enum. 249. C. P. 

 3912. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 718. Wight, Ic. t. 732 {Desmochcete ^nurtcatd). 



Stems 1-2 ft, with glabrous spreading branches, 1. i\-2 in., 

 ovate, rounded at base, acute, entire, glabrous, petiole \-\ in.; 

 fl. laxly arranged in long-stalked spikes, bracts lanceolate, 

 acute, membranous, persistent, abortive fl. bract-like, closely 

 pressed against central one, bifid and laciniate ; per.-leaves 

 oblong-oval, acute ; fruit globose, muriculate, included in 

 perianth. 



Dry and desert regions'; rare. Jaffna (Moon) ; Tissamaharama, near 

 Hambantota, abundant; Mannar. Fl. December-February; rose- 

 coloured. 



Dry parts of India and Burma; Beluchistan, Arabia, N. Africa, and 

 Java. 



4. ABIARANTUS/ L. 

 Annuals, 1. alt, fl. small, unisexual, monoecious, in small 

 clusters ; per.-leaves 3 or 5, often aristate ; stam. 3 (rarely 2) 

 or 5, distinct, free, staminodes o; ovule erect, stigmas 2 or 3 

 spreading; fruit very thin, circumscissile or indehiscent; seed 

 orbicular, slightly compressed, black and polished. — Sp, 

 variously estimated ; 10 in Fl. B. Ind. 



Sep. and stam. 5 i. A. SPINOSUS. 



Sep. and stam. 3 (or 2). 



Some clusters of fl. in terminal spikes. 



Bracts longer than sep. . . . 2. A. gangeticus. 

 Bracts shorter than sep. . . . 4. A. VIRIDIS. 

 All clusters of fl. axillary. 



Fruit smooth, dehiscent . . . 3. A. mangostanus. 

 Fruit rugose, indehiscent. . . 5. A. polygonoides. 



* 'A/idpavToe, unfading, from the persistent texture of the flowers. 



