10 AMARANTACE&. [AMARANTUS. 



Fruit blunt at the apex : 



Fruit orbicular or broadly ovate, indehis- 

 cent, membranous : 



Procumbent ; leaves small, 2-lobed ; 



clusters all axillary . . . C. A. Blitum. 



Tall, succulent ; leaves large, oblong 

 or rounded ; clusters axillary and 

 in terminal simple or lobed spike's . A. Blitum var.. 



oleracea. 



Fruit ovoid, rugose, indehiscent or dehis- 

 cent ; leaves obtuse, rarely retuse or 

 2-lobed ; clusters all axillary . . 7. A. -polygamus. 

 Stamens 2 ; sepals 2 ; fruit orbicular, com- 

 pressed, membranous, indehiscent ; clusters 

 minute, all axillary ; leaves small, linear- 

 oblong, obtuse or 2-lobed at the apex . . 8. A. tenuifoliu** 



1, A, spinosus, Linn. Sp. PL 9ul ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 611 ;. 

 F. B. I. iv, 718 ; Watt E. D.; Comm. Prod. Ind. 63 ; Frain Beng. 

 PI. 869 ; Cooke Fl. Bomb, ii, 488. Prickly Amaranth. 



An erect spinous herb. Stems terete, glabrous, hard, often tinged with 

 red ; branches grooved, armed with sharp straight divaricate spines 

 in the leaf axils. Leaves 1 J-4 in. long, ovate or lanceolate, obtuse 

 and spine-tipped, glabrous on upper surface, often scurfy beneath ; 

 main lateral nerves close, prominent beneath ; petiole equalling or 

 shorter than the blade. Flowers many, sessile, in dense axillary 

 clusters or in terminal and axillary more or less interrupted spikes ;. 

 bracts usually longer than the sepals, linear and tipped with a bristle. 

 Perianth of male flowers T J-f in. long, with ovate acute bristle- 

 tipped segments ; perianth of female flowers much smaller and with 

 oblong obtuse apiculate segments. Stamens 5. Capsule T ^ in. long, 

 ovoid, thickened above, rugose ; styles 2, spreading. Seeds black 

 and shining. 



Found abundantly in all parts of the area, and often troublesome as a 

 weed in fields and gardens. DISTRIB. : Throughout India and in 

 Ceylon, ascending to 5,000 ft. on the Himalaya ; extending to all 

 tropical countries. The ashes of this plant are used in dyeing, the 

 leaves are often eaten as spinach, and the roots are much used in 

 native medicine. 



