AMARANTHACEJE. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 207. 



GOMPHRENA. 



Bractlets 2, coloured, carinate, enveloping the 5 sepals. Tube 

 of stamens 5-cleft ; segments 2- or 3-cleft or denticulate, having 

 in their middle cylindrical 1 -celled anthers. Style single ; stig- 

 mas 2, cylindrical. Utricle closed, 1 -seeded. 



718. G. officinalis Mart. nov. gen. and sp. ii. 1. 101, 102. Aug. 

 de St. Hil.pl. us. No. 31. South and middle of Brazil. 



Root perennial, tuberous, sometimes as large as the fist, rather 

 woody internally. Stems ascending, from a span to a foot high, reddish- 

 green, very hairy or shaggy. Leaves in 3 or 4 pairs on each stem, 

 ovate or oval, short stalked, mucronulate, shaggy like the stems. 

 Flowers capitate, deep-red, shining. Heads terminal, sometimes as much 

 as 3 inches in diameter, hemispherical, compact, surrounded by an 

 involucre of several rows of acute bracts. An external bractlet to each 

 flower, long, acuminate-triangular, dry, membranous, scarlet in the 

 middle ; inner bractlets deep scarlet. " Calyx of the same colour. 

 The Brazilians employ the root for nearly the same purposes as Aristo- 

 lochia Serpentaria is employed in North America ; it appears to be a 

 stimulating tonic. The thick clubshaped root is chiefly used in spasms, 

 dyspepsy, intermittent fevers, diarrhoea, &c., and is called Paratodo. 



718 * Amaranthus viridis L. and melancholicus L. respect- 

 ively called Caruru and Caruru vermelho in Brazil, are used in 

 that country for emollient poultices. 



* * Amaranthus obtusifolius is mentioned as a diuretic : but such a 

 species is not to be found in systematical works. 



CHENOPODIACE^E. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 208. 



CHENOPODIUM. 



Calyx inferior, in 5 deep, ovate, concave, permanent segments, 



membranous at the edges. Filaments awl-shaped, opposite to 



the segments,. and about as long. Anthers of 2 round lobes. 



Ovary orbicular, depressed. Styles short. Stigmas obtuse. Seed 



347 



