. 
— ZErva.] AMARANTACES. 15 
A common weed in the plains of N. India; also in Western India, 
extending to Trop. Africa and other warm countries. 
_ § ZERUA, Forsk.; Fl. Brit. Ind. iv, 727. 
Erect prostrate or climbing herbs or undershrubs, often woody. 
Leaves alternate opposite or fascicled. Flowers small or minute, 
in simple or panicled spikes, 2-sexual or polygamous ; bracts and 
bracteoles small. Perianth membranous or papery, sepaline, 5 
(rarely 4) -lobed ; segments equal or the outer broader. Stamens 
5, rarely 4; filaments subulate, connate, with short or Jong 
intervening staminodes in a short hypogynous cup; anthers 
2-celled. Ovary ovoid or subglobose ; style simple, long or short, 
stigma capitellate or stigmas 2; ovule solitary, pendulous from 
a long basal funicle. Fruit a membranous utricle or a circum- 
scissile capsule with a coriaceous crown. Seed inverse, testa 
coriaceous ; embryo annular, surrounding the floury albumen, 
cotyledons linear, radicle superior.—Species about 15, in Trop. Asia 
and Africa. ~ 
Spikes axillary and terminal :— 
Erect ; leaves alternate, flowers dipecious . 1. &. tomentosa. 
Climbing ; leaves alternate and opposite ; flowers 
2-sexual . ; ‘ . F : . 2. 4. scandens. 
Spikes all axillary; leaves alternate ; flowers 1- 
sexual and 2-sexual ‘ ee , . 3. A. lanata. 
1, H. tomentosa, Forsk. Fl. Agypt.-Arab. caxii and 727 ; FI. 
Trop. Afr. vi, 37. A. javanica, Wight ; Royle Jil. 320; F. B. I. w, 
727 ; Watt BE. D. ; Cooke Fl. Bomb. ii, 493. 2. Bovii, Edgew. in 
Journ. Linn. Soc. vi, 206. Achyranthes incana, Roxb. Fl. Ind. 2, 
671.—Vern. Chin (Merwara). 
A hoary tomentose undershrub, 2-3 ft. high. Stem branched, terete, as 
thick as a goose quill, densely stellate-tomentose. Leaves alternate, 
sessile or nearly so, 1-24 in. long, linear-obleng or oblong-spathulate, 
acute obtuse or somewhat retuse, densely tomentose. Flowers dieci- 
ous, sessile, in densely woolly oblong or linear spikes 1-6 in. long and 
forming leafless terminal panicles ; bracteoles ovate, acute, hyaline. 
Mare flowers: Perianth about +’, in. long. Sepals elliptic-oblong. 
woolly on the back. Ovary rudimentary, with short style and bifid, 
