68. AMARANTACEAE 183 



1. Anthers i -celled. Ovule i. Herbs or unclershrubs. Leaves opposite. 



Inflorescences head- or shortly spikesliaped. [Subfamily GOM- 



PHRENCIDEAE, tribe GOMPHREXEAE.] 2 



Anthers 2-celled. [Subfanuly AMARANTOIDEAE.] 4 



2. Stigma I, capitate. Fertile stamens alternating with staminodes. — 



Species 7. Some are used as ornamental plants, others are noxious 

 weeds. (Including Telanthera R. Br.) [Subtribe froehlichinae.] 



Alternanthera Forsk. 

 Stigmas 2—4, subulate. [Subtribe gomphreninae.I .... 3 



3. Filaments entire. — Species i. Central Africa. [Philoxerus R. Br.) 



Iresine L 

 Filaments fringed, toothed, or 3-parted. — Species i. Tropical and South 

 East Africa. A weed, sometimes used as an ornamental plant. 



Gomphrena L. 



4. Ovule I. [Tribe AM AR ANTE AE.] 5 



Ovules 2 or more, very rarely ovule i, erect ; in this case filaments united 



below into a membranous tube and flowers hermaphrodite. [Tribe 

 CELOSIEAE.] "32 



5. Ovule erect. Radicle of the embryo descending. Filaments free or united 



in a ring at the base. Flowers unisexual, polygamous, or hermaphrodite 

 but intermixed with sterile ones Leaves alternate. [Subtribe amarax- 



TINAE.] 6 



Ovule pendulous. Radicle of the embryo ascending. [Subtribe achy- 



RANTHINAE.] C) 



6. Perianth spreading. Filaments united at the base. Stigmas 3, Fruit a 



berry. Shrubs. Flowers polygamous, in spikes or racemes. — Species 



I. Canary Islands Bosia L. 



Perianth erect. Herbs or undershrubs 7 



7. Flowers unisexual or polygamous ; no sterile ones. Filaments free. — 



Species 20. Some of them have edible seeds or are used as vegetables, 

 in medicine or as ornamental plants. (Including Albersia Kuiath, Am- 



hlozyna Rafin., and Euyolus Rafin.) Amarantus L. 



Flowers hermaphrodite. Partial inflorescences consisting of one fertile 

 and two sterile flowers 8 



8. Sterile flowers comb-shaped. Filaments free. Style short ; stigma 2- 



lobed. — Species i. Tropical and North Africa. Use^l as a vegetable 



Digera Forsk. 

 Sterile flowers wing-shaped. Filaments united at the base. Style long ; 

 stigmas 2. — Species i. Northern East Africa (Somaliland). 



Pleuropterantha Franch. 



g. Flowers solitary in the axil of each bract. 10 



Flowers in clusters of two or more ; usually some of them sterile. . . 20 

 10. Spurious staminodes (sterile processes) interposed between the fertile 



stamens 11 



Spurious staminodes wanting .18 



