110 BOTANY. 



B. tSpirolobece. 



Tribe (3. S'ueüdinecc. Stem unjointe<l. with leaves usually fleshy and 

 vermicular. Flowers hermaphrodite, all similar. Pericarp free, rarely ad- 

 herent. Seed with two integuments, the outer crustaceous. Emhryo coiled in 

 a flat spiral. Examples : Suaeda, Schangina, &.c. 



Tribe 7. Snlsolem. Stem jointed or not. Avith leaves usually cylindrical 

 and fleshy. Flowers hermaphrodite, similar. Pericarp thin, scarcely free. 

 Tegument of the seed simple and membranous. Embryo in a helicoid or 

 conical spiral. Examples : Salsola, Kali, Brachylepis. 



Some prominent American genera are Salsola, Sufeda, Salicornia, Cheno- 

 podiura, (fcc. The ashes of many species furnish carbonate of soda, espe- 

 cially Salsola, Salicornia. and Kochia. The mustard seed of Scripture is 

 Salvadora persica. The common beet, Beta vulgaris, indigenous along the 

 coast of the Mediterranean, belongs to this family ; as also Spinacia ole- 

 racea or Spinach, and the Peruvian quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa. The 

 American Chenopodiums are known as Lamb's quarter and Goose- 

 foot. 



Beta vulgaris, common Beet {pi. (30, 61,/o'. 5) ; tZ, root with a radical leaf; 

 b, a group of flowers : c, a fruit. 



Order 77. Amaranthace^, the Amaranth Family. Perianth three- to 

 five-partite, hypogynous, scarious, persistent, usually with two bractlets at 

 the base. Stamens hypogynous, either five and opposite the segments of the 

 perianth, or double that number, distinct, or united, sometimes partly 

 abortive ; anthers either dithecal or monothecal. Ovary superior, single, 

 one-celled ; ovules solitary or several, amphitropal, hanging from a free 

 central funiculus ; style one or ; stigma simple or compound. Fruit a 

 utricle or a caryopsis, rarely baccate. Seeds lentiform, pendulous ; testa 

 crustaceous ; embryo peripherical ; albumen farinaceous ; radicle next the 

 hilum. Herbs and shrubs, Avith simple, opposite, or alternate exstipulate 

 leaves ; flowers in heads or spikes, usually hermaphrodite. They are 

 natives of tropical and temperate regions. There are thirty-eight known 

 genera, and 282 species. Examples : Amaranthus, Achyranthes, Celosia, 

 Dccringia. Gomphrena. 



The plants of this family are of little economical importance ; the leaves 

 of some species furnish a great amount of mucilage. Three fourths of all 

 the species are tropical, most of them American. Iresine and Amaranthus 

 are North American representatives. A. hypochondriacus is a -common 

 garden flower, known as Prince's feather. Celosia cristata or Cock's comb, a 

 native of China, is frequently cultivated for purposes of ornament. 



Celosia cristata. Cock's comb {pi 60, Q\.fig 6) ; c, a flower magnified. 



Order 78. Nyctaginace.e, the Marvel of Peru Family. Perianth 

 tubular, colored, contracted in the middle, becoming indurated at the base ; 

 limb entire, or toothed and deciduous ; sestivation plicate. Stamens defi- 

 nite, hypogynous ; anthers dithecal. Ovary superior, one-celled ; ovule 

 solitary, erect ; style one ; stigma one. Fruit a caryopsis, inclosed within 

 110 



