478 AMARANTHACE.E CHENOPODIACE.E. 



They are natives principally of warm regions. Linclley notices 14 

 genera, including 100 species. Examples Mirabilis (Nyctago), Boer- 

 haavia, Pisonia. 



983. The plants of the order have in general purgative qualities. 

 Mirabilis Jalapa was at one time considered the Jalap- plant, in place 

 of Exogonium Purga, one of the Convolvulacea?. M. . dichotoma is the 

 Marvel of Peru, which is commonly cultivated in gardens. It is 

 called in the West Indies " four-o'clock flower," on account of opening 

 its blossoms at that hour in the afternoon. Some of the species of 

 Pisonia present a peculiar arrangement of the vascular bundles of the 

 woody stem, which resembles in appearance that of Endogens. 



984. Order 145. Amaramhaceie, the Amaranth Family. (Apet. 

 Hypog.) Perianth 3-5-partite, hypogynous, scarious, persistent, 

 usually with two bractlets at the base. Stamens hypogynous, either 

 5 and opposite the segments of the perianth, or double that number, 

 distinct, or united, sometimes partly abortive; anthers either dithe- 

 cal or monothecal. Ovary superior, single, 1 -celled; ovules solitary 

 or several, amphitropal, hanging from a free central funiculus; style 

 1 or ; stigma simple or compound. Fruit a utricle or a caryopsis, 

 rarely baccate. Seeds lentiform, pendulous; testa crustaceous; em- 

 bryo peripherical; albumen farinaceous; radicle next the hilum. 

 Herbs and shrubs, with simple, opposite, or alternate exstipulate 

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

 natives of tropical and temperate regions. There are 38 known 

 genera, and 282 species. Examples Amaranthus, Achyranthes, 

 Celosia, Deeringia, Gomphrena. 



985. The plants are principally mucilaginous and demulcent. Many 

 of them are known in cultivation, such as Amaranthus hypochondriacus, 

 Prince's-feather; A. caudatus, Love-lies-bleeding; Celosia cristata, 

 Cockscomb; Gomphrena globosa. Globe amaranth. Amaranthus Blitum, 

 A. oleraceus, or Chusan Han-tsi, and other species, are used as pot- 

 herbs. In the Cockscomb, the flowers form at the apex a peculiar 

 crest of flattened or fasciated peduncles (fig. 230). 



986. Order 146. Chenopodiaceie, the Goosefoot Family. (Apet. 

 Perigyn. and Hypogyn.) Perianth deeply divided, sometimes tubular 

 at the base, persistent, without bracts; aestivation imbricate. Stamens 

 inserted into the base of the perianth or hypogynous, opposite to its 

 segments, and equal to them in number, or fewer (fig. 544). Ovary 

 single, superior, or sometimes cohering to the tube of the perianth, 

 1 -celled; ovule solitary, attached to the base of the cell; style 2-4- 

 parted; stigmas simple. Fruit membranous, indehiscent, enclosed in 

 the calyx, sometimes fleshy. Seed erect or resupinate ; embryo curved 

 around farinaceous albumen, often like a horse-shoe, or spiral, or 

 doubled together without albumen; radicle next the hilum. Herbs 

 or undershrubs, with alternate, sometimes opposite, exstipulate leaves, 



