AMARANTHACEAE (AMARANTH FAMILY) 373 



nerved nor angled. — Streets of Albany, New York City, and Brooklyn ; doubt- 

 less introduced, but the native habitat unknown. 



2. ACNiDA L. Water Hemp 



Habit of Amaranthus. Bracts 1-3, unequal. Staminate calyx of 5 thin 

 oblong mucronate-tipped sepals, longer than the bracts ; stamens 5, the anther- 

 cells united only at the middle. Stigmas 2-5, often long and plumose-hispid. 

 Fruit somewhat coriaceous and indehiscent, or a thin membranous utricle 

 dehiscing irregularly (rarely circumscissile), usually o-5-angled. (Name from 

 a- privative, and Kvibi]^ a nettle.) 



* Fruit indehiscent, icith firm and close pericarp; salt-marsh X)lants. 



1. A. cannabina L. Usually stout, 1-2 m. high or more, glabrous; leaves 

 lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, long-petioled ; sepals of sterile flowers 

 ovate-oblong, obtuse or acutish ; bracts usually thin, lax. and much shorter than 

 the fruit, sometimes more rigid and longer ; fruit about 8 mm. long, obovoid ; 

 seed usually less than 3 mm. long, shining. {A. rusocarpa Michx.) — Salt or 

 brackish mar.shes, coast of N. H. to F!a. 



* * Fruit dehiscing irregularly, the pericarp thin, loose and usually roughened ; 



not salt-marsh plants. 



2. A. tuberculata Moq. Tall and erect, with flexuous branches ; leaves 

 lanceolate to rhombic-ovate, acute or acutish ; sepals of sterile flowers lanceo- 

 late, acute or acuminate ; pistillate flowers closely clustered in more or less 

 dense naked or leafy axillary and terminal spikes (or the axillary capitate); 

 bracts rather rigid, acuminate, equaling or exceeding the fruit ; ulricle about 

 1 mm. long; seed shining. 0.7 mm. in diameter. {A. tarnariscina, var. Uline & 

 Bray.) — Vt. and Mass. {Ammidoicn) to Dak. and La. 



Var. subnuda Wats. Often decumbent ; leaves smaller, obtusish ; flowers 

 aggregated into distinct globo.se glomerules (7-lo mm. in diameter). (A. tarna- 

 riscina, var. concatenata Uline & Bray, not A. cannabina, var. concatenata 

 Moq.) — Sandy bottom lands, w. Que. to Wise, and Mo. — Passing into the 

 typical form. 



Var. prostrata (Uline & Bray) Eobinson. Prostrate, much branched; leaves 

 (1-2 cm. long, 3-10 mm. broad) and glomeniles (4-6 mm. in liamtter) small. 

 {A. tarnariscina, var. Uline & Bray.) — Similar situations, w. Que. to Minn., and 

 southw. 



* * * Fruit regularly circumscissile ; western. 



3. A. tarnariscina (Nutt.) Wood. With the habit of the preceding species 

 but readily disting-uished by the fruit. (Amaranthus Nutt.) — Prairies, etc., 

 '- Dak." to Tex. and N. Mex. ; said to occur as far e. as 111. 



3. cel6sia l 



Flowers subtended by a bract and two bractlets. Calyx scarious, in fruit 

 erect and (in our species) concealing the utricle. Stamens 5. Fruit a thin 

 membranaceous utricle, circumscissile or dehiscing irregularly, ovoid or subglo- 

 bose. (Xame from /cTjXeos, a burning, on account of the seared appearance of 

 the flowei-s.) 



1. C. ARGEXTEA L. Ercct glabrous herb, 3-12 dm. tall ; leaves lanceolate, 

 short-petioled. acute ; inflorescence a simple dense cylindrical spike ; sepals 

 white or roseate-tinged, much longer than the bracts ; style conspicuous, 

 exserted. — Montgomery Co., Pa. {Porter). (Adv. from the Ti'opics.) 



4. IRESINE P. Br. 



Flowers mostly polygamous or dioecious, 3-bracted, Calyx of 5 sepals. Sta- 

 mens mostly o. Fruit a globidar utricle, not opening. — Herbs, with opposite 

 petioled leaves, and minute scarious-white flowers crowded into clusters or 



