4o6 Chenopodiacecp. [Airipiex. 



nearly sessile, tapering to base, subacute, very faintly serrate, 

 glabrous; fl. densely crowded, heads very small, sometimes 

 slightly spicate. 



Wet places in the low country ; very common, especially round tanks 

 and ponds. Fl. all the year; white. 



In all Tropical and warm countries. 



This is eaten as a vegetable. 



CIV.— CHENOPODIACE/E. 



Herbs or undershrubs, 1. alt. or opp., often fleshy or o; 

 fl. small, regular, bisexual or unisexual, sessile, axillary with 

 or without bracts; perianth-segm. 3 or 5, distinct or connate, 

 imbricate, persistent (fleshy in Baselld), rarely o; stam. 5 or i, 

 anth. 2-celled ; ov. superior, i -celled, with a single basal or 

 lateral ovule, styles 2 or 3 ; fruit a membranous utricle en- 

 closed in persistent perianth; seed horizontal or vertical, with 

 a flat, curved, or spiral embryo, with or without endosperm. 



Stems not twining. 



Fl. unisexual i. Atriplex. 



Fl. bisexual (except sometimes in 4). 

 Leafless; stam. i. 



Embryo curved round endosperm . 2. Arthrocnemum. 

 Embryo bent double ; no endosperm . 3. S.\LIC0RNIA. 



Leafy ; stam. 5 4- Su.«da. 



Stems twining 5- Basella. 



All our species except Basella are plants of the seashore. 



I. ATRXFIiEX, L. 



Shrubby, 1. opp., fleshy, fl. small, unisexual, monoecious, in 

 interrupted spikes ; male fl. without bracts, per.-leaves 5 ; 

 stam. 5 ; fem. fl. with 2 large flat opp. bracts becoming much 

 enlarged in fruit, perianth o, stigmas 2, utricle small, mem- 

 branous, completely enclosed by the thickened bases of the 

 persistent bracts; embryo annular, endosperm starchy. — 

 Sp. 100; 5 in Fl. B. hid. 



A. repens, Roth. Nov. Sp. PI. 377 (1821)- XSHchchevl, T. 



A. coriacca, Moon Cat. 72 (non Forsk.). Thw. Enuni. 246. C. P. 2252. 

 Fl. B. Ind. V. 7. Wight, Ic. t. 1790 {Obione k'atiiffit). 



A small shrub, stems prostrate or ascending, sub-quadran- 

 gular, somewhat thickened at nodes, bark yellowish grey, 



