236 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



Another Indian species, Achyrantlies asj^era, is also reputed to 

 be astringent and diuretic. Gomjjhrena officinalis and G. 

 macrocejpliala are used in Brazil in intermittent fevers, diarrhoea, 

 and some other diseases. Some of the species have bright- 

 coloured persistent flowers, and are hence cultivated in our 

 gardens, as Amarantus caudatus, Love-lies-bleeding ; Amaran- 

 tus hyjpocliondriacus, Prince's-feathers ; Celosia cristata, Cocks- 

 comb ; and others. 



Order 3. — Chenopodiace^, the Goosefoot Order. — Charac- 

 ter. — Herbs or under shrubs, more or less succulent. Leaves 

 exstipulate, usually alternate, rarely opposite. Floivers minute, 

 greenish, usually [ebracteate, hermaphrodite or unisexual. 

 Calyx persistent, usually divided nearly to the base, imbricate. 

 Stamens equal in number to the lobes of the calyx and opposite 

 to them, or rarely fewer, hypogynous or inserted into the base 

 of the lobes; anthers 2-celled. Ovary superior or partly 

 inferior, 1- celled, with a single ovule attached to its base ; style 

 usually in 2 — 4 divisions, rarely simple. Fruit usually an 

 achseniimi or utricle, or sometimes baccate. Seed solitary ; em- 

 bryo coiled into a ring or spiral, with or without albumen ; 

 radicle towards the hilum. 



Diagnosis. — They are chiefly distinguished from the Nycta- 

 ginaceee by their habit and commonly ebracteate flowers. 



Distribution and Numbers. — More or less distributed over 

 the globe, but most abundant in extratropical regions. Illus- 

 trative Genera: — Salicornia, Tourn.; Beta, Toiirn.\ Salsola, 

 Linn. There are above 500 species. 



Properties and U'.ses.— Several plants of this order inhabit 

 salt-marshes, and yield by combustion an ash called barilla, from 

 which carbonate of soda was formerly principally obtained ; but 

 their use for this purpose has much fallen off of late years, in 

 consequence of soda being more readiW extracted from other 

 sources. The plants which thus yield barilla principally 

 belong to the genera Salsola, Salicornia, Chenoi:) odium, and 

 Atrijilex. Many plants of the order are esculent, as Beet and 

 Mangel-Wurzel or Mangold Wurzel ; and some are used as pot- 

 herbs, as Spinach or Spinage {Spinacia oleracea). Garden Orache 

 or Mountain Spinach {Atriplex /ior^ensis), and English Mercury 

 {Chenopodium Bonus-Henricus). The seeds of others are nutri- 

 tious ; and several contain volatile oil, which renders them 

 anthelmintic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, or stimu- 

 lant. 



Order 4. BASELLACEiE, the Basella Order. — Diagnosis.— 



