CHENOPODTACEJC. (GOOSEFOOT FAMILY.) 



$ 1. MOROCARPUS, McEnch. Glabrous annuals or biennials, not mealy : floioers 

 in axillary heads, the upper ones often spiked: calyx in fruit commonly becoming 

 fleshy or berry-like, nearly enclosing the utricle. 



1. B. mariti in urn, Nutt. (COAST ELITE.) Stem angled, much 

 branched ; leaves thickish, triangular-lanceolate, tapering below into a wedge- 

 shaped base and above into a slender point, sparingly and coarsely toothed, the 

 upper linear-lanceolate ; clusters scattered in axillary leafy spikes ; calyx-lobes 2-4, 

 rather jlvshy ; stamen 1 ; seed shining, the margin acute. Salt marshes, New 

 Jersey to Massachusetts ; rare. Aug. 



2. B. capitatilin, L. (STRAWBERRY ELITE.) Stem ascending, 

 branching; leaves triangular and somewhat halberd-shaped, sinuate-toothed; 

 clusters simple (large), interruptedly spiked, the upper leafless ; stamens 1 - 5 ; 

 calyx berry-like in fruit ; seed ovoid, flattish, smooth, with a very narrow mar- 

 gin. Dry rich ground, common from W. New York to Lake Superior, and 

 northward. June. The calyx becomes pulpy and bright red in fruit, when tho 

 large clusters look like Strawberries. (Eu.) 



i 2. AGATIlOrilYTON, Moquin. Somewhat mealy: root perennial : flowers 

 in clusters crowded in a terminal spike: calyx notjleshy, shorter titan the half-naked 

 fruit. 



3. B. BONUS-HENRICUS, Reichenb. (GooD-KiXG-IlENRY.) Leaves tri- 

 angular-hal herd-form; stamens 5. ( Chenopodium, L.) Around dwellings: 

 scarce. (Adv. from Eu.) 



5. ATRIPI^EX, Tourn. ORACHE. 



Flowers monoecious or dioecious ; the staminate like the flowers of Chenopo- 

 dium, only sterile by the abortion of the pistil ; the fertile flowers consisting only 

 of a pistil enclosed between a pair of appressed foliaceous (ovate or halberd- 

 shaped) bracts, which are enlarged in fruit, and distinct, or united only at the 

 base. Seed vertical. Embryo coiled into a ring ; the radicle inferior and more 

 or less ascending. In one section, to which the Garden Orache belongs, there are 

 also fertile flowers with a calyx, like those of Chenopodium but without sta- 

 mens, and with horizontal seeds. Herbs usually mealy or scurfy with bran-like 

 scales, with triangular or halberd-shaped angled leaves, and spiked-clustered 

 flowers. (The ancient Latin name, of obscure meaning.) 



1. A. Siastfitsi, L. Erect or diffusely spreading, much branched, more or 

 less scurfy ; leaves alternate or partly opposite, petiolcd, triangular and halberd 

 form, commonly somewhat toothed, the uppermost lanceolate and entire ; frait- 

 ing bracts triangular or ovate-triangular, acute, entire, or 1 2-toothed below, 

 often somewhat contracted at the base, so becoming rather rhomooidal, the flat 

 faces either smooth and even, or sparingly muricate. Q) (A. hastata & lacini 

 ata, Pursh. A. Purshiana, Moquin. A. pa tula, ed. 1. &c.) Salt marshes, 

 brackish river-banks, &c., Virginia to Maine. The plant on the shore is more 

 scurfy and hoary; more inland it is greener and thinner-leaved. (Eu.) 



A. HoitTENSis, L., the GARDEN ORACHE, is said by Pursh to be sponta- 

 neous in fields and about gardens. I have never seen it growing wild : it is 

 rarely cultivated as a povherb. 



