Cir. AMARANTACE.T5. 499 



or ovoid ; ovule solitary, pendulous from a long basal funicle ; style 

 very short ; stigma capitellate (rarely 2-fid). IVuit a compressed 

 orbicular or obcordate utricle often with thickened or winged margins. 

 Seed inverse, lenticular ; testa crustaceous ; embryo annular, surrounding 

 floury albumen ; cotyledons narrow ; radicle superior. — Distrib. 

 Species about 16, tropical and subtropical, abundant in Australia and 

 Tropical America. 



1. Alternanthera triandra. Lam. Encyc. Method, v. 1 (1783) 

 p. 95. Herbaceous, much-branched from the root ; branches 6-20 in. 

 long, often purplish, prostrate or ascending, often rooting at the lower 

 nodes, glabrous, the younger ones with 2 opposite lines of hairs. Leaves 

 i-2 by g-| in. (in wet places sometimes reaching 4 by 1 in.), somewhat 

 fleshy, linear-oblong, lanceolate or elliptic, obtuse or subacute, sometimes 

 obscurely denticulate, shortly petiolate, glabrous. Flowers sessile, white, 

 shining, in small axillary sessile heads ; bracteoles J^ in. long, ovate, 

 scarious. Perianth y^-g in. long; sepals ovate, acute, scarious, 

 1-nerved. Ovary obcordate, broader than long, compressed; style very 

 short ; stigma capitellate. Utricle y^—j-^ by yo~8 ^'^■' obcordate, com- 

 pressed, with thickened margins. Seed ./q - ^ -^ in. in diam., suborbicular. 

 Trim. Fl. Cevl. v. 3, p. 40.5. Alternanthera sessilis, R. Br. Prodr. 

 (1810) p. 417; Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 4, p. 731; Grab. Cat. p. 168; 

 Dalz. & G-ibs. p. 220 ; Wight, Icon. t. 727 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. V. 12 (1899) p. 364; Prain, Beng. PI. p. 875 ; Watt, Diet. Ecoii. 

 Prod. V. 1, p. 199. Achyranthes triandra, Hoxh. Fl. Ind. v. 1, p. 678. — 

 Flowers : July-Dec. Vern. Kanchri ; Jaljamba. 



Oommou throughout tlie Presidency in damp places. — Distrib. Throughout tlie 

 warmer parts of India ; Ceylon and all warm countries. 



The following plants not belonging to any of the foregoing genera are 

 commonly cultivated in gardens : — 



Telanthera ficoidea, Moq. in DC. Prodr. v. 13, part 2 (1849) p. 363, 

 a native of Brazil, is a favorite edging in gardens, and is known to 

 gardeners as Alternanthera amahilis. Its leaves take a fine crimson 

 color in the Deccan from July to September. The plant is propagated 

 readily by cuttings and makes an excellent edging for small beds, being 

 easily kept in order by clipping. 



Gomphrena f/Iohosa, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 224. The Globe Amaranth, 

 probably originating in America, is largely cultivated and often found 

 as an escape. It is a tall branched annual with elliptic or obovate- 

 oblong, acute or obtuse leaves and large globose yellowish-white or 

 crimson heads of flowers 1-1| in. in diam. with leafy bracts and pinkish- 

 purple bracteoles. Fl. B. I. v. 4, p. 732 ; Grab. Cat. p. 169 ; Dalz. & 

 Gibs. Suppl. p. 72 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 364 ; 

 Prain, Beng. PI. p. 876; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 1, p. 208.— 

 Flowers : Aug.-Mar. Vebn. Jdfri-gundi. 



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