Achyranthes.] cxvi. AMARANTACE^. (J. D. Hooker.) 731 



xiii. 2, 312 ; Wight Ic. t. 1779. A. Wightiana and A. lanceolata, Wall. Cat. 

 6928, 6929. A. aspera, Wall. Cat. 6924 H. 



TEMPERATE and SUBTROPICAL HIMALAYA; from Kishtwar, Clarke, to Sikkim, 

 alt. 4-6000 ft., J. D. H. KHASIA MTS., alt. 4-6000 ft. BEHAE ; top of Parus- 

 nath, Thomson. The CONCAN, NILGHIEI and TEAVANCOEE MTS., Wight, &c. 

 CEYLON, abundant. DISTEIB. China, Java, Japan. 



Habit of A. aspera, vnr. porphyristachya, and leaves often as large, but the 

 bracteoles are reduced to spines with scarcely a blade, or with a minute auricle on each 

 side of the base, and the stami nodes are not fringed. It may prove a form of that 

 plant. Some Nynee-tal specimens, collected by Col. Davidson, almost with the 

 blade of the bracteoles half as long as the spine, unite them in this respect. The 

 very narrow-leaved forms ( Waliichiana and lanceolata) occur in the Khasia and 

 Himalaya along with the more typical, as they do in the Deccan hills. 



4. A. diandra, Roxb. Fl. Ind. i. 504; stem slender diffusely branched, 

 leaves linear-lanceolate or linear glabrous or nearly so, spikes very slender 

 pubescent, bracteoles of a spine as long as the sepals 2-auricled at the base, 

 stamens 2, staminodes fimbriate. Centrostachys diaudra, Wall, in Roxb. 

 Fl. Ind., Ed. Carey fy Wall. ii. 504; Moq. in DC. Prodr. xiii. 2, 322 ; Wight 

 Ic. t. 722. 



CEYLON ; common in the warmer districts, Thwaites. 



Annual or biennial, 12-18 in. high, very much more slender than any other 

 species. Leaves 2-4 by - in., membranous, green. Spikes 3-6 in. ; flowers 

 distant, in. long, very slender. 



UNDETERMINABLE SPECIES. 



A. BENGALENSIS, LamJc. Diet. i. 459 ; Moq. in DC. Prodr. xiii. 2, 317. Parony- 

 chia bengaleusis, Roem. <f Schultes Syst. v. 521, not of Juss. Illecebruin bengalense, 

 Linn. Mant. 213. 



A. SAEMENXOSA, VaUl Symb. ii. 44 ; Moq. I. c. 318. 



16. ALTRNANTHERA, Forslc. 



Herbs, usually prostrate. Leaves opposite. Flowers small, white, 

 capitate ; heads axillary, often clustered. Sepals unequal, anterior and 2 

 posterior flattened ; 2 lateral innermost, concave. Stamens 2-5, filaments 

 short, connate into a short cup with or without interposed staminodes ; 

 anthers 1-celled. Ovary orbicular or ovoid; stigma subsessile, capitellate 

 (rarely 2-fid) ; ovule 1, pendulous from a long basal funicle. Utricle com- 

 pressed, ovoid orbicular or obcordate, margins often winged or thickened. 

 Seed inverse, lenticular, testa coriaceous ; embryo annular, cotyledons 

 narrow. Species about 16, tropical and subtropical. j 



(l) A. sessilis, Br. Prodr. 4] 7 ; branches many from the root prostrate 

 or ascending, leaves linear oblong lanceolate or elliptic obtuse or subacute, 

 sepals glabrous rigid acute, anthers 2-3, utricle obcordate. Moq. in DC. 

 Prodr. xiii. 2, 357. Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 996 ; Dah. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 220 ; 

 Wight Ic. t. 727 ; Wall. Cat. 6921. A denticulata, Wall. Cat. 6922. A. 

 prostrata, Don Prodr. 86; Moq. I. c. 360,/b/* the most part. Achyranthes 

 triandra, JRoxb. Fl. Ind. i. 678, and Ed. Carey $ Wall. ii. 505. Gomphrena 

 sessilis, Linn. Sp. PL 225. liheede Hort. Mai. x. 1. 11. 



Throughout hotter INDIA and CEYLON in dump places, ascending the HIMALAYA 

 to 4000 ft. DISTEIB. All warm countries. 



Branches 3-18 in. long, glabrous, the ultimate with 2 lines of hairs ; nodes 

 often villous. Leaves 1-3 in., in watery places even longer (4 by 1 in.), rather 

 fleshy, sometimes obscurely denticulate. Clusters ^-\ in. loug, white, hardly glisten- 

 ing ; flowers T 'g-i2 in. long. Utricle usually broader than the perianth, very broadly 



