576 ILLECEBRACEZ. [Scleranthus. 
linear, acute, concave, minutely serrulate, coriaceous. Peduncles 
axillary, solitary, very short in the flowering stage, but lengthening 
in fruit and overtopping the leaves. Flowers minute, in pairs or 
more rarely solitary at the top of the peduncle, sessile within 4 
minute concave bracts placed crosswise. Perianth 4-lobed. Stamen 
1, inserted on an annular membrane near the mouth of the 
perianth. Fruiting perianth about =, in. long, hard, ovoid at the 
base ; lobes erect. Utricle membranous, included.—Handb. N.Z. 
Fl. 234; Benth. Fl. Austral. v. 259. Mniarum biflorum, Forst. 
Char. Gen. 2, t.1; Prodr.n.6; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 319; A. 
Cunn. Precur. n. 368; Raoul, Choix, 48. M. fasciculatum, Raoul, 
l.c. (not of R. Br.). Ditoca muscosa, Banks ex Gaertn. Fruct. ii. 
196, t. 126. 
NortH anp SoutH Istanps: Abundant throughout, from the Three Kings 
Islands and the North Cape to Foveaux Strait. Sea-level to 4000 ft. 
Orper LXITI. AMARANTACEA. 
Herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate, simple and 
entire, exstipulate. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually 
regular, generally arranged in spikes or cymes or clusters, each 
flower seated within 2 scarious bracteoles and subtended by a 
larger scarious bract. Perianth inferior, persistent, rigid and 
scarious, often coloured, of 4-5 free or slightly connate segments, 
imbricate in bud. Stamens hypogynous, 4-5, seldom fewer, oppo- 
site to the sepals; filaments free or connate, or united with inter- 
vening staminodia into a cup-shaped ring; anthers 1- or 2-celled. 
Ovary superior, 1-celled; style long or short, simple or divided into 
2-3 branches or separate styles; ovules 1 or more, attached to a 
slender basal funicle. Fruit usually a membranous utricle, rarely a 
capsule or berry, enclosed or resting upon the persistent perianth. 
Seeds 1 or more, usually compressed, vertical; albumen farina- 
ceous; embryo annular or curved. 
A moderate order, comprising 48 genera and nearly 500 species, most 
plentiful in tropical or warm countries, absent in cold climates or on the tops of 
high mountains. Some species of Amarantus and Celosia (cockscomb) are often 
cultivated in gardens, but as a whole the order is composed of weedy unattrac- 
tive plants possessing no useful properties. The only New Zealand genus is 
found in all warm countries. 
1, ALTERNANTHERA, Forsk. 
Annual or perennial herbs, usually prostrate or decumbent, 
rarely erect, glabrous or more or less pubescent or tomentose. 
Leaves opposite. Flowers small, whitish, capitate; heads sessile 
in the axils of the leaves, often clustered. Perianth 5-partite; seg- 
ments unequal, the anterior and 2 posterior flattened, the 2 lateral 
innermost, concave. Stamens 2-5; filaments short, connate at the 
