90 AMARANTHACEAE. 



Chenopodium rubrum L. Glabrous; stems stout, angled, branching, 30- 

 90 cm. high; leaves triangular or lanceolate, acute, cuneate at base, sinuately- 

 dentate; the upper ones linear-lanceolate and usually entire; spikes axillary, 

 leafy-bracted, the flowers in dense clusters; calyx-lobes 2-4, obtuse, somewhat 

 fleshy; stamens 1 or 2; seed shining, 1 mm. broad. In saline places, not 

 common. 



Chenopodium leptophyllum Nutt. Erect, slender, simple or branched, 

 30-60 cm. high, more or less mealy throughout; leaves entire, linear, 1-3 cm. 

 long; inflorescence paniculate; flowers in dense clusters, these in spikes; 

 calyx-lobes strongly keeled. A native species of infrequent occurrence. 



Chenopodium botrys L. Jerusalem Oak. Stems branched from the base, 

 the branches erect or spreading, 30-^50 cm. high, glandular-pubescent through- 

 out; leaves oblong, 2-5 cm. long, pinnately divided into 5-6 irregular toothed 

 lobes; petioles short, or the uppermost leaves sessile; flowers very small, 

 usually abundant, in loose axillary racemes or panicles, these forming strict 

 narrow panicles 10-30 cm. long; sepals dry, ovate, loosely enclosing tha fruit. 

 A weed becoming abundant in the warmer valleys. 



Chenopodium album L. Lamb's Quarters. Pigweed. Erect, stout, 50- 

 100 cm. tall, usually simple below the inflorescence, more or less white-mealy 

 throughout; leaves rhombic-ovate, sinuate or dentate, obtuse or acute, 2-4 

 cm. long, greener above; petioles slender, nearly equalling the blade; upper- 

 most leaves lanceolate and entire; panicle commonly 30 cm. long; spikes 

 axillary or terminal, rather dense; fruiting calyx 1 mm. broad, the sepals 

 keeled and arched over the lenticular fruit; seed black, minutely pitted. A 

 common weed in waste or cultivated ground. 



Chenopodium album viride (L.) Moq. Herbage green, less mealy; in- 

 florescence looser. Sparingly introduced. 



Chenopodium hybridum L. Green and glabrous throughout or the inflo- 

 rescence a little mealy, erect, 60-120 cm. high; leaves triangular-ovate, acu- 

 minate, somewhat cordate at base, thin and rather large, 5-20 cm. long, with 

 a few large teeth on each side; inflorescence a loose panicle; flowers in small 

 clusters in leafless racemes; calyx-lobes shorter than the fruit. In waste places, 

 introduced from Europe. 



Family 33. AMARANTHACEAE. AMARANTH FAMILY. 



Weedy herbs; leaves thin, simple, mostly entire, alternate or 

 opposite; flowers small, green or white, perfect, monoecious, 

 polygamous or dioecious, bracteolate, usually in terminal spikes 

 or axillary heads; calyx herbaceous or membranaceous, 2-5- 

 parted, the segments distinct or united at the base, equal, or the 

 inner ones smaller; petals none; stamens 1-5, mostly opposite 

 the calyx-segments, hypogynous; ovary 1-celled; ovule 1 (in 

 ours) ; fruit a utricle, 1-seeded (in ours) ; endosperm mealy, 

 usually copious. 



122. AMARANTHUS. AMARANTH. 



Annual branched erect or diffusely spreading, glabrous or 

 pubescent herbs; leaves alternate, petioled, pinnately veined, 



