SAL HERBAL , 



A M A 



upright, coloured, permanent ; leaflets lanceolatfe, acute. 

 Corolla : none, (unless the ealix be so termed.) Stamina ; 

 .ilaments five or three, capillary, from upright patulous, the 

 length of the colix; antherae oblong, versatile. Female 

 flowers in the same racemes with the males, Calix : perianth as 

 in the male. Corolla: none. Pistil: germ ovate; styles 

 three, short, subulate; stigmas simple, permanent. Peri- 

 carp : capsule ovate, somewhat compressed, as is the calix, 

 on which it is placed ; coloured, and of the same size, three- 

 beaked, one-celled, cut open transversely. Seed: single, 

 globular, compressed, large. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Male. 

 Calix: three or five-leaved. Corolla : none. Stamina : three 

 or five. Female. Calix : three or five-leaved. Corolla .- 

 none. Styles : three. Capsule: one-celled, opening horizon- 

 tally. Seed: one. These plants are generally disposed in 

 pots with Cockscombs, and other showy plants, to 'adorn 

 court-yards, and other immediate environs of the house. 

 They are tender, and require much care to bring to perfec- 

 tion in England. They are annual herbaceous plants ; the 

 leaves simple, alternate ending in a little bristle ; the flowers 

 loosely disposed in glomerules or spikes ; and are almost all 

 natives of North America ; although some are found in the 

 tropical countries of Asia and Africa, and only two in Europe. 



The species are, 



*With three Stamina. 



1. Amaranthus Graecizan ; Pettitory-teaved Amaranth. 

 Glomerules axillary; leaves lanceolate, repand, obtuse ; the 

 stem a span high. It flowers from July to September, and 

 is a native of North America. 



2. Amaranthus Albus; White Amaranth. 'Glomerules 

 axillary ; leaves roundish, ovate, emarginate ; stem four- 

 cornered, simple. The stem is greenish white, a span high. 

 A native of the coast of Pennsylvania, from whence it has 

 migrated in Italy; it flower-s in July and August. 



3. Amaranthus Deflexus. Spike very short, with few 

 flowers ; leaves rhomb-lanceolate ; capsules not gaping. 

 Its native place is unknown. 



4. Amaranthus Polygonoides : Spotted-leaved Amaranth. 

 Glomerules three-leaved : female flowers funnel-shaped ; 

 leaves rhomb-ovate, emarginate. This species varies in dif- 

 ferent situations ; in a hot-bed, the stems were a foot high, 

 and the whole plant green except the calices ; and in the 

 open air the stem was red, and six inches high. It is found 

 wild by the way-side, and among rubbish, in the tropical 

 countries of Asia, Africa, and America; as in Jamaica, 

 Guiana, Senegal, Guinea, Ceylon, &c. It was brought to 

 Kngland in 1778, and flowers in August. 



5. Amaranthus Polygamus ; Hermaphrodite Amaranth. 

 Glomerules two-stamined, subspiked, ovate; flowers herma- 

 phrodite and female ; leaves lanceolate. Stem upright, 

 eighteen inches high. It is a native of Guiana, China, and 

 Amboyna, where the inhabitants boil and eat the leaves and 

 stalks. It flowers in July. 



6. Amaranthus Mangostanus, Glomerules subspiksd, ax- 

 illary, solitary; leaves rhomb-roundish. Native of the East 

 Indies. 



7. Amaranthus Inamaenus. Glomerules subspiked, three- 

 leaved, axillary, geminate ; leaves rhomb-lanceolate. Stem 

 a foot and half high. Supposed to be a native of Japan. 



8. Amaranthus Melancholicus ; Two-coloured Amaranth. 

 Glomerules axillary, peduncles roundish ; leaves ovate-lance- 

 olate, coloured. Stem upright, half a foot high. la the open 

 air, the leaves are of a dirty purple on their upper surface, 

 and the younger ones are green ; in a stove, the whole plant 

 is of a fine purple colour. It is well worth a place in a plea- 

 ure garden, but is very tender, and requires some art and 



care to bring them to perfection in England. It is a native 

 of the East Indies and of Gniana. The leaves have two co- 

 lours, an obscure 'purple, and a bright crimson, so blended 

 as to set off each other, and making a fine appearance when 

 the plant is vigorous. See the twenty-third species, for its 

 propagation, cultivation, &c. 



9. Amaranthns Gangetictis ; Oral-spiked Amaranth. Glo- 

 merules in very short spikes, ovate ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, 

 emarginate. Stem a foot high. A native of Bengal, nn<* 

 the Society Isles, and flowers from July to September. 



10. Amaranthus Oleraceus ; Eatable Amaranth. Glome- 

 rules axillary, branching ; leaves wrinkled, oblong, very ob- 

 tuse, emarginate. Stem upright, a foot or a foot and half high, 

 even, smooth, round, and white ; leaves pale green. It is a 

 native of Guiana, the East Indies, and Egypt, but is not en- 

 titled to a place in gardens on account of its beauty. This 

 'and the next species are gathered in India when young, and 

 dressed as we dress spinach : it flowers hi July. 



11. Amaranthus Viridis ; Green Amaranth. Glomerules 

 axillary, geminate ; male flowers trifid ; leaves ovate, emargi- 

 nate. Stem erect, a foot or a foot and half high ; leaves a 

 bright green in open situations* but dusky in the shade. 

 Native of Brazil ; flowering in August and September. 



12. Amaranthus Tricolor; Three-coloured Amaranth. 

 Glomerules sessile, roundish, stem-clasping .- leaves lance- 

 olate-ovate, coloured. Stem upright, a foot and half or two 

 feet in height ; leaves blue, with a red point. It has long 

 been celebrated for the beauty of its variegated leaves, in 

 which the colours are elegantly mixed. Native of Guiana, 

 Persia, Ceylon, China, Japan, the Society Isles, &c. 



13. Amaranthus Lividus ; Livid Amaranth. Glomerules 

 subspiked, rounded ; leaves elliptic, refuse ; stem upright, 

 two feet high, hollow, dark red, smooth, round, deeply 

 streaked or grooved. Leaves dusky green, with pale purple 

 veins; flowers green. Native of Virginia and Guiana. 



14. Amaranthus Tristis ; Round-headed Amaranth. Glo- 

 merules in loose spikes; leaves subcordate, ovate, emarginate, 

 shorter than the petioles ; stem upright, a foot and half high, 

 leaves and flowers green. Native of China, Cochin, Amboyna 

 and Brazil ; where the young plant is eaten by the natives, 

 as the spinach is with us. It flowers from June till August. 



15. Amaranthus Blitum ; Least Amaranth, or Elite. Glo- 

 merules subspiked ; flowers three-leaved ; leaves ovate, re- 

 tuse. Stem diffused, a span high, upright, streaked, smooth; 

 leaves smooth, green, emarginate, with a very short white 

 point. Native of all Europe, except the very cold parts, 

 Japan, &c. in cultivated grounds, on dunghills, banks, 

 among rubbish, &c. Culpeper recommends this plant a: 

 excellent to restrain the fluxes of blood in either sex; and 

 states, that there is a sort of wild Elites, resembling the 

 other wild kinds, but having long and spiky heads of green- 

 ish seeds, appearing by their thick setting together, to be 

 all seed, at which fish will bite with great avidity ; and adds 

 that it is much sought after by anglers. 



16. Amaranthus Scandens ; Climbing Amaranth. Spikes 

 interrupted, compound ; spikelets bent ; in leaves ovate ; 

 stem weak, two feet high. It resembles the preceding spe- 

 cies ; and is a native of America. 



** With five Stamina. 



17. Amaranthus Hecticus. Flowers in simple spikes, ax- 

 illary, glomerate ; leaves ovate, acute. Stem red, nearly a 

 foot high. Its native place is unknown. 



18. Amaranthus Hybridus ; Clustered Amaranth. "Ra- 

 cemes decompound, heaped, erect ; leaves ovate-lanceolate. 

 Stem two feet high, and double that height in gardens, green 

 or red, upright, smooth, streaked. There are several 



