318 Order 106.— AMARANTACE^E. 



2f higb, at length diffuse. Lvs. 1 to 2' by 3 to 1", petiole 1 to 2' j brasieh-lm 

 much smaller. Clusters 4 to 5-flowered. 



7 A. melancholictia L. Love-lies-bleeding. Erect, glabrous, usually 

 dark purple; lvs. long-petioled, lance-ovate or lance-oblong, obtuse, emarginate: 

 glornerules geminate, subpedunculate, shorter than the petioles ; fts. dense, dark 

 purple; bracts, calyx and utricle subequal. Gardens. St. 1 to 2f high, simple. 

 Lvs. 2 to 5' long, petiole 2 to 3. Clusters amplexicauL f Asia. — Varies much in 

 color. 



3. TRICOLOR. Lvs. ob!ong-l3nceolate, the young red with a yellow apex, tin* 

 adult bright red at base, violet in the middle, green at apex, the old greets 

 with a violet base, f. 



3. EUX'OLUS, Raf. (A name intended to signify well-closed ; re- 

 ferring to the valveless utricle.) Flowers monoecious, 3-bracted ; calyx 

 3 (2 to 5)-sepaled, sepals equal,, erect, glabrous ; stamens 3 (2 to 5) ; 

 stigmas 3 ; utricle ovate, 1-seedcd, valveless and indehiscent, or tearing 

 open ; seed vertical, embryo annular. — (i) Herbs witb the habit, of Amar- 

 antus (Amarantus, L.) 



§ Spines 2 in each axil. Bracts not longer than the 5 sepals No. 1 



§ Spines none. — Bracts longer than the 8 to 5-sepaieil calyx Nos. 2, '■'> 



— Bracts shorter than the 5-sepaled calyx Nos. 4, 5 



1 E. spinosus Feay. Smooth, striate, purplish, much branched; lvs. long- 

 petioled, rhomb-ovate, or lance-ovate, obtuse, dull green, with 2 axillary spines ;, 

 panicle sparingly branched, spikes erect, acute, the terminal longest ; fls. crowded, 

 6-parted ; bracts, sepals and rugous utricle about equal iu length. — Cultivated and 

 waste grounds, Penn. to I1L and S. States. St. and branches flexuous, 1 to 3f 

 high. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, petioles nearly as long, spines sharp, 3 to 8" long,. 

 Utricle certainly valveless (as first noticed by l)r. Feay), and falling without 

 opening. Seed dark brown, polished". Jn. — Oct. 



2 E. lividua Moq. Erect, branched, smooth, livid-purplish ; lvs. long-petioled, 

 elliptic or "ovate, obtuse, emarginate, upper acutish ; axillary spikes shorter than 

 the petiole, the terminal long, slender, rigid, acute, somewhat interrupted ; fls. 

 crowded -, sep. 3, thrice longer the bracts; fr. rogous, acute. — Cultivated and wasto 

 lands, Ya. to Fla. and La. St. stout, hollow, striate, 2. to 3f high. Lvs. 3 to &' 

 by 2 to 3', petiole 2' to 30,", purple. Terminal spike 2 to i' long. Fls. 3-parted. 

 Utricle slightly exserted. Jn. — Sept. 



3 E. deflexua Raf. Ascending, diffusely branched, ashy green, puberuknt, branches 

 deflexed : lvs. petiolate, rhomb-lanceolate, obtuse ; spikes ihickish, obtuse, some- 

 what nodding, axillary and terminal ; fls. crowded, sliort-pedieelled ; sep. 3 to 5, 

 longer than the bracts ; fr. smooth. — Wasto and cultivated grounds. Mid. States.. 

 Sts. branched from base, slender, If long. Lvs. wavy, prominently veined beneatb,. 

 6 to 15" long. Stigmas 2 or 3, very short, white. Utricle exserted. Aug.,. 

 Sept. § Eur. 



4 A. viridis Moq. Erect, smooth, livid, purple ; lvs. long-petioled, ovate, obtuse •} 

 spikes axillary and terminal, paniculate, rattier long, loose, acutish ; sepals 3, twice- 

 longer than the bracts ; utricle roundish-ovate, rigulous. — Cultivated and wasto 

 grounds, Ala. and La. St. sulcate, 1 to 2f high. Terminal spikes 2 to 3' Ioug. 

 Readily recognized by the baldness of the minuto fls. 



5 E. pumilus Raf. Low, very smooth, diffusely branched, lvs. subsessile, ovate, 

 obtuse, smooth, fleshy, clustered at the ends of the branches; fls. in small, ax- 

 illary glomerules, sessile ; cal. 5-parted, purplish ; fr. smooth, ovate, twice longer 

 than than the calyx. — Sandy sea coast, N. Y. to Ga. Aug. — Oct. (A. pumilus. 

 Ell.) 



4. ACNTDA, L. Water Hemp. (Gr. a, not, icvidrj, tbe nettle r a 

 nettle-like plant wbicb does not sting.) Flowers dioecious, 3-bracted. 



£ Calyx of 5 equal, erect sepals ; stamens 5, anthers oblong, 2-celled ; 

 $ calyx 0; ovary 1 -celled, 1-ovuled, with 3 to 5 stigmas; fruit a fleshy, 

 valveless utricle ; seed vertical. — (DA marsh herb, with alternate, petio- 



