126 FLORA OF JAMAICA Salicomia 



Flowers in tenninal jointed spikes, 3 or more together in cavities 

 of the joints, the flowering areas decussately opposite. Perianth 

 flattish at the top, with a small mouth through which the 

 stamens and stigmas protrude. Stamens 2. Stigmas 2. 

 Utricle enclosed by the perianth which has become spongy. 

 Seed erect, compressed ; testa leathery, hispidulous with hooked 

 hairs ; endosperm none ; embryo conduplicate. 



Species about 15, natives of saline soil, widely distributed 

 throughout the world. 



S. ambigua Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i. 2 (1803); Griseh. Fl. 

 Br. W. Irid. 60; Britton III. Fl. i. 583. Arthrocnemum ? 

 ambiguum Moq. Chenop. Enum. 112 (1840) <fe in DC. Prodr. xiii. 

 pt. 2, 151. (Fig. 37.) 



Glass Wort. 



Margins of mangrove swamp, Great Goat Is. ; between Portland Point 

 and Rocky Point ; Harris ! Fl. Jam. 10,178. — On both shores of American 

 continent, Bahamas, Bermuda. 



With a perennial woody rootstock. Stem trailing, 6 in, to 2 ft. long, 

 with ascending slender branches, terete or flattened. 



Family XVI. AMARANTACE^. 



Herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate, exstipu- 

 late. Flowers usually in terminal simple or panicled spikes, 

 cymes or clusters (outer flowers of the cluster sometimes 

 deformed) ; each flower with one bract and two bracteoles 

 which are scarious. Perianth-segments, 5-3 scarious, persistent, 

 imbricate in bud. Stamens 2-5, opposite the perianth-segments, 

 filaments free or connate below or united with intervening 

 staminodes into a hypogynous cup ; anthers 1- or 2-celled. 

 Ovary 1-celled ; styles 1-3 ; ovules 1 or more, basal. Fruit with 

 a bladdery pericarp (utricle) in Jamaican species, enclosed in or 

 resting on the persistent perianth. Seed erect, roundish, com- 

 pressed, testa crustaceous ; embryo horseshoe-shaped or annular, 

 surrounding the mealy endosperm. 



Species about 500, widely dispersed throughout the world. 



Leaves alternate. 

 Flowers hemiaphrodite. 



Utricle with 2 or more seeds 1. Celosia. 



Utricle with 1 seed 2. Chamissoa. 



Flowers unisexual. 



Flowers monoeciotis 3. Amarantus. 



Flowers dioecious 4. Acnida. 



Leaves opposite. 

 Flowers in very long spikes. Anthers 2-celled. 

 Segments of imperfect flowers changed into awns 



hooked at apex 6. Cyathula. 



Segments and bracts spinescent 6. Achyranthes. 



