THE BEET FAMILY 155 



are termed halophytes, and it is in these localities that most 

 of the chenopods are found. Wherever the ground, on 

 drying, rapidly becomes encrusted with salt, there only 

 halophytes can grow. Plants usually halophytic may, 

 however, sometimes be found in soils that do not contain any 

 specially large amount of alkaline constituents ; but in such 

 positions they often lose many of their chief characteristics. 



Key to the Genera. 



1. Stem leafless, cylindrical, jointed. Salicornia, j). 156. 

 stem leafy, not jointed. 2 



2. Perianth without bracts. Chenopodiiun, p. 155. 

 Perianth with bracts, in the female flowers at least. 3 



3. Periantli of male flowers without bracts. tAtriplex. 

 Periantli of male flowers bracteate. 4 



4. Perianth flesliy in the fruit. tSuaeda. 

 Perianth winged or keeled in the fruit. Salsola. p. 1.55. 



tNot further described. 



Genus Chenopodium. 



Herbs, often covered with .i mealy dust, composed of the bladder-like, readily 

 separable cells of the hairs which cover the stems and leaves. Flowers 2-sexual, 

 small, greenish. Perianth 3-5 partite. A large genus of way-side weeds, the 

 fat-hens and goose- foots. (Name from the Greek signifying goose-foot). 7 sp. 



Chenopodium triandrum {The Triandrous Cheiwpodium.) 

 Stems in. -12 in. high, much branched. Leaves J in.-§ in. long, entire. 

 Flowers minute, fascicled at the ends of the branches. Stamens 2-4. Both 

 islands, Auckland to Otago. Fl. Nov. -Mar. This species appears to be endemic 

 in New Zealand. The specific name " triandrum " implies that there are three 

 free stamens. 



Genus Salsola. 



Herbs or shrubs, with fleshy, often i^rickly leaves, extremely saline. 

 Flowers minute, axillary, 2-sexual. (Name from the Latin, signifying salt). 

 1 sp. 



Salsola australis (The Southern Salsoht). 



A low woody shrub, 1 ft. -2 ft. high. Leaves hard, sharp-pointed, ovate, 

 h in.-:| in. long. Flowers inconspicuous. Sepals and stamens usually 5. This- 

 is, perhaps, the same as the northern Salsola kali, which, as its name implies, 

 was at one time one of the chief sources of alkali. 



