AMARANTACEdE. 15 



A common weed in the plains of N. India ; also in Western India, 

 extending to Trop. Africa and other warm countries. 



5. JERUA, Forsk. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. iv, 727. 



Erect prostrate or climbing herbs or undershrubs, often woody. 

 Leaves alternate opposite or fascicled. Flowers small or minute, 

 in simple or panicled spikes, 2-sexual or polygamous ; bracts and 

 bracteoles small. Perianth membranous or papery, sepaline, 5 

 (rarely 4) -lobed ; segments equal or the outer broader. Stamens 

 5, rarely 4 ; filaments subulate, connate, with short or long 

 intervening staminodes in a short hypogynous cup ; anthers 

 2-celled. Ovary ovoid or subglobose ; style simple, long or short, 

 stigma capitellate or stigmas 2 ; ovule solitary, pendulous from 

 a long basal funiole. Fruit a membranous utricle or a circum- 

 scissile capsule with a coriaceous crown. Seed inverse, testa 

 coriaceous ; embryo annular, surrounding the floury albumen, 

 cotyledons linear, radicle superior. Species about 15, in Trop. Asia 

 and Africa. 



Spikes axillary and terminal : 



Erect ; leaves alternate, flowers dioecious . 1. jE. tomentosa. 



Climbing ; leaves alternate and opposite ; flowers 



2-sexual . . . . . . . 2. M. scandens. 



Spikes all axillary ; leaves alternate ; flowers 1- 



sexual and 2-sexual 3. M. lanata. 



1, JE. tomentosa, Forsk. Fl. JEgypt.-Arab. cxxii and 727 ; FL 

 Trop. Afr. vi, 37. M. javanica, Wight ; Royle 111. 320; F. B. I. iv, 

 727 ; Watt E. D. ; CooJce FL Bomb, it, 493. M. Bovii, Edgew. in 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. vi, 206. Achyranthes incana, Roxb. FL Ind. i, 

 671. Vern. Chin (Merwara). 



A hoary tomentose undershrub, 2-3 ft. high. Stem branched, terete, as 

 thick as a goose quill, densely stellate-tomentose. Leaves alternate, 

 sessile or nearly so, 1-24 in. long, linear-oblong or oblong- spathulate, 

 acute obtuse or somewhat retuse, densely tomentose. Flowers diceci- 

 ous, sessile, in densely woolly oblong or linear spikes 1-6 in. long and 

 forming leafless terminal panicles ; bracteoles ovate, acute, hyaline. 

 MALE flowers : Perianth about T V in. long. Sepals elliptic-oblong, 

 -woolly on the back. Ovary rudimentary, with short style and bifid, 



