34 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



though not all of the agreeable taste of real spinage. A. Mangos- 

 tanus, A. Gangeticus, A. melancholicus, A. tristis, L. and A. poly 

 stachyus, Willdenow, likewise furnish in Southern Asia either 

 foliage for spinage or seeds for porridge. Amarants for spinage 

 must be well boiled and the water repeatedly changed. 



Amarantus paniculatus, Linne. (A. frumeniaceus, Eoyle.) 



In tropical countries of Asia and also America. An annual herb, 

 attaining a height of 6 feet, yielding half a pound of floury nutri- 

 tious seeds on a square yard of ground in three months, according 

 to Roxburgh. Extensively cultivated in India for food-grain, 

 especially as an autumn-crop ; the leaves serve as vegetable. 



Amelanchier Botryapium, De Candolle. 



The " Grape-pear " of North-Eastern America ; also called 

 " Shadbush." Cultivated in Norway as far north as 59 55 ; 

 [Schuebeler]. This handsome fruit-tree attains a height of 30 

 feet. Wood extremely hard, heavy and tough. The purplish or 

 almost black fruits are small, but of pleasant subacid taste, ripen 

 early in the season, and are borne abundantly ; Mr. Adams, of 

 Ohio, has calculated the yield at 300 bushels per acre annually, if 

 the variety oblongifolia is chosen.; it is the Dwarf " June-berry " 

 of North-America. This bush or tree will live on sandy soil ; but 

 it is one of those hardy kinds particularly eligible for alpine 

 ground ; it is remarkably variable in its forms. 



Amelanchier alnifolia, Nuttall. 



North-Western America. Allied to the following. The autoch- 

 thones store the dried fruit for winter-use. The wood is so tough 

 as to be used for rollers and for teeth of wheels in machinery 

 [Dr. G. Dawson]. 



Amelanchier vulg-aris, Mcench. 



Countries at and near the Mediterranean Sea, ascending to sub- 

 alpine regions. The edible fruits of this shrub are a marketable 

 article in South-Europe [Naudin]. 



Amorphophallus XLonjac, C. Koch. (A. Rivierii, Durieu.) 



Cochinchina, but comes to perfection also in cooler countries ; 

 thus cultivated in Japan for its edible tubers, which sometimes 

 reach a foot in thickness. 



Anabasis Ammodendron. C. A. Meyer. (Haloxylon Ammodendron, 

 Boissier.) 



From the Ural and Altai to Persia and Turkestan. The only 

 arborescent plant in some of the drift-sandy deserts of that region, 

 recommended by Dr. von Regel for naturalisation in other sandy 

 or saline arid tracts. It is leafless, and attains a height of 20 feet. 

 Endures a soil temperature of half the heat of boiling water. 

 Wood hard and dense. 



