AMARANTH FAMILY. 361 



» Leares alternate, mostly long pet ioled ; anthers -i- celled. 

 +- Flowers perfect ; ovules and seeds numerous. 



1. CELOSIA. Neai-ly as Ainiirantiis, l)\it the crowded spikes inibricatod witli shilling 



colored bracts. In cultivation the spikes are often changed into broad crests, 

 -i- -H Flowers dicecious, monascious, or polygamous ; ovule solitary. 



2. AMAKANTUS. Flowers inonoccious or polygamous. Calyx of 5, or sonictinies 3, equal 



erect sepals, glabrous. Stamens 5, sometimes 2 or 8. Stigmas 2 or S. Ovule on a 

 stalk from the base of the ovary. Fruit an utricle, 2-3-pointed at ape.x, usually open- 

 ing all round transversely, the upper part falling off as a lid (Lessons, Fig. 387), dis- 

 charging the seed. Flowers in axillary or terminal spiked clusters. Bracts 3 at each 

 tlower. 



3. ACNIDA. Flowers dioecious, the pistillate ones without a calyx. Sterile flowers with 



5 stamens and 5 sepals. Stigmas 2-5, often i)lumose. Bracts 1-3. 

 « * Leaves opposite ; anthers \-ceUed. 

 ■i- Flowers capitate, the heads either axillary or terminal. 



4. TELANTlIEliA. Flowers perfect, in small dense heads (axillary in ours). Calyx 5- 



parted, the divisions unequal. Anther-bearing stamens 5, alternating with 5 sterile 

 filaments of the same length and which are laciniate at the top, all united into a short 

 tube. Stigma cai)itate. 



5. GOMPIIKENA. Flowers perfect, chiefly in terminal round heads, crowded with the 



firm colored bracts. Calyx 5-parted or of 5 sepals, the parts nearly equal. Stamens 

 5, monadelphous below, the filament tube elongated. Stigmas 2 or 3, subulate or 

 filiform. (Lessons, Fig. 299.) 



-f- -1- Floioers spicate or paniculate. 



6. FRCELICIIIA. Flowers perfect, 3-bracted, in spikes. Calyx tubular, 5-cleft at the 



summit, inclosing the fruit. Filaments united into a tube, bearing 5 anthers and as 

 many sterile appendages. 



7. lEESINE. Flowers generallj' dioecious or polygamous, 8-bracted, in panicles. Sepals 5. 



Stamens generally .5, with the filaments united in a cup below. 



1. CELOSIA, COCKSCOMB. (Greek: dried or burnt, alluding to 

 the scarious bracts.) Flovver,s summer. ® 



C. cristata, Litin. Com.mon C. Of tiie gardens, from the Tropics, in 

 various usually monstrous forms, the showy flower crests crimson-red, 

 sometimes rose-colored, yellow, or white. 



2. AMARANTHS, AMARANTH. (From Greek for nnfadiuff.) 

 Coarse weeds of cult, and waste grounds, and one or two cultivated 

 for ornament. Flowers late summer. Bracts commonly awn- 

 pointed. 



* Red Amaranths, the flmver dusters or the leaven tinged icith red or 

 purple {except Hometimes in the last). 



■*- Spikes drooping. 



A. caudafus, Linn. Princk's Fkatukk. Cult, from India; tall, 

 stout ; leaves ovate, bright green ; spikes red, naked, long and slender, 

 in a drooping panicle, the terminal one forming a very long tail. 



H- H- Sju'/ces erect. 



A. hypochondnacus, Linn. Cult, from Trop. Amer.; .stout; leaves 

 oblonu, (ttten reddish-tinged ; flower clusters deep crimson-purple, short 

 and thick, the upper making an interrupted blunt spike. 



A. paniculafus, Linn. Coarse weed in gardens ; the oblong-ovate or 

 lance-oblong leaves often blotched or veined with purple ; flowers iu 



