44 AMAEANTHACEAE. 



racemes. Calyx of 2 sepals, sometimes winged in fruit. Corolla of 5 often 

 somewhat colored petals. Androecium of 5 stamens borne opposite the 

 petals. Gynoecium 3-carpellary. Ovary superior, 1-celled. Fruit utricular. 



1. BOUSSINGAULTIA H.B.K. Vines. Leaf-blades of an ovate type, 

 rather fleshy. Eacemes axillary and terminal. Sepals 2, nearly flat, not 

 winged. Petals 5, longer than the sepals. Stigmas cleft. 



1. B. leptostachya Moq. A glabrous much branched vine. Leaf -blades ovate, 

 2.5-6 cm. long, acute, entire, abruptly narrowed or subcordate at the base: 

 racemes slender, 5-17 cm. long: petals greenish-white or maroon, oval or 

 elliptic-oval, 1.5-2.5 mm. long, spreading in anthesis. — Waste places and road- 

 sides. Key West. Nat. of Trop. Am. — [E. K.] — {Cuba, Ant.) — Madeira-vine. 



Family 3. AMARANTHACEAE. Amaranth Family. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves alternate or opposite, estipulate: 

 blades entire or nearly so. Flowers perfect, polygamous, or dioecious, in 

 spikes or panicles with searious or colored bracts. Calyx of 2-5 mostly 

 distinct sepals. Corolla wanting. Androecium of 5, or fewer, distinct or 

 monodelphous stamens. Gynoecium of 2 or more united carpels. Ovary 

 1-celled. Fruit a utricle or pyxidium, or rarely baccate. 



Anthers 2-celled. 

 Leaves alternate. 



Filaments united at the base : ovules 2-8 In a cavity. 1. Celosia. 



Filaments distinct : ovules solitary in eacti cavity. 



Periantli present in all flowers. 2. Amaranthus. 



Perianth wanting in pistillate flowers. 3. Acmda. 



Leaves opposite. 4. Achykanthes. 



Anthers 1-celled. 



Stigmas capitate, notched or brush-lilie. 5. Alternantheea, 



Stigmas 2-3, subulate or filiform. 



Flowers in head-like spikes, perfect. 6. Philoxerus. 



Flowers in panicles, dioecious. 7. Iresixe. 



1. CELOSIA L. Herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate: blades mainly 

 entire. Flowers perfect, spicate: sepals 5, searious. Filaments partially 

 united. Styles united. Ovules 2-8. Utricle circumscissile. 



1. C. paniculata L. Perennial, glabrous, 1 m. long or more: leaf -blades ovate, 

 deltoid-ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-7 cm. long: spikes 1-3 cm. long: sepals 

 oblong, 3.5-4 mm. long: utricle included: seed about 1 mm. long. — Coastal 

 sand-dunes and hammocks, U. S. keys, U. keys, L. keys.— [E, K.] — (Bah., 

 Cuba, Ant.) 



2. AMARANTHUS [Tourn.] L, Herbs, Leaves alternate: blades 

 entire. Flowers polygamous, monoecious, or dioecious, densely spicate or 

 clustered, each subtended by mostly 3 bracts. Sepals 2-5. Filaments dis- 

 tinct. Stigmas 2 or 3, distinct. Ovule solitary. Utricle circumscissile, 

 irregularly opening or indehiscent. — Amaranth. Pigweed. 



Sepals abruptly contracted into narrow claws. 1- A. polygonoides. 



Sepals not abruptly contracted into claws. 

 Utricle circumscissile. 



Stem and branches unarmed, without spines at the leaf- 



fixiis 2. A. huhndiis. 



Stem and branches armed, with spines at the leaf-axils. 3. A. apinosus. 

 T'tricle Indehiscent. 



Flowers, at least the upper ones, In continuous or inter- 

 rupted spikes. 4. .-1. grnciUs. 

 Flowers in axillary clusters surpassed by the leaves. 5. .-1. crassipes. 



