AMARANTHS.] AMARANTACEM. II 



2, A. paniculatns, Linn. Sp. PL ed. 2, 1406 ; F. B. I. iv, 718 ; 

 Watt E. D. ; Comm. Prod. Ind. 63 ; Duthie Field and Gard. Crops, 

 N. W. Prov. and Gudh, part Hi, 23, t. 68 ; Collett Fl. Siml. 411 ; 

 Prain Beng. PL 870 ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 489 ; A. frumen- 

 taceus, Bucli.-Ham. in Roxb. FL Ind. in, 609 ; Royle 111. 320 ; 

 A. DC. UOrig. PL Cult. 382. A. Anardana, Buch.-Ham. ; Royle 

 III. 321. Vern. Chua, marsa, bathu, etc. 



A tall robust annual, up to ft. high or more. Stem stout, grooved 

 striate and often tinged with red. Leaves 2-6-in. long, elliptic or 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, base cuneate ; main lateral 

 nerves slender, prominent beneatli ; petioles 1-4 in. long. Spikes 

 dense, many -flowered, subsquarrose, red, green or golden-coloured, 

 the whole forming a thyrsoid panicle of which the central spike is 

 the longest ; bracts recurved, much longer than the sepals. Perianth 

 Xo~i in. long. Sepals 5, oblong, lanceolate, acute and shortly awned. 

 Stamens 5. Fruit a capsule, | in. long, ovoid and narrowing to the 

 apex ; styles usually 3, short. Seeds subglobose, white, red or black. 



Cultivated as a cold-season crop within the area, but chiefly in the Sub- 

 Himalayan tracts ; it is also found as an escape. The minute seeds 

 are very nutritious and afford wholesome food for a large number of 

 the poorer class of ratives. DISTRIB. : Largely grown as an autumn 

 crop on the outer Himalayan ranges up to 10,000 ft. or more, as well 

 as in the hilly districts of Peninsular India. It forms a very hand- 

 some crop when in full flower, especially on the Himalaya where it is 

 usually grown in terraces, the crimson and golden kinds mixed to- 

 gether. The plant occurs also in E. and W. Asia and hi Africa, 

 either cultivated or as an escape. 



3, A. caudatus, Linn. Sp. PL 990 ; F. B. I. iv, 719 ; Watt 

 E. D. ; Comm. Prod. Ind. p. 63 ; Duthie Field and Gard. Crops, 

 part Hi, 24, t. 68 A ; Collett Fl. Siml. 411 ; Prain Beng. PL 870 ; 

 Cooke Fl. Bomb, ii, 491. Vern. Keddri-chua. 



Similar in many respects to A. paniculatus, but in its typical state it 

 may be distinguished by its smaller size, the obtuse leaves and by 

 the very long and drooping terminal spike ; the bracts also, which 

 are hardly recurved, do not greatly exceed in length the obovate 

 mucronate sepals ; also the utricle and seeds are smaller, the 

 latter, as in A. paniculatus, varying very much in colour and shape. 



This plant is cultivated for its grain in the northern portion of the area 

 as a cold season crop, and also on the neighbouring Himalaya, where* 



