132 Amaranthaceae 



lanceolate; sepals acute, 1 or more of them strongly keeled in 

 fruit; seed about 1 mm. broad, dull, minutely reticulated. 



Frequent in low alkaline places toward the coast. Hyde Park; Mesmer. 



8. SALSOLA L. 



Annual or perennial much-branched herbs, with 

 prickly-pointed leaves and sessile perfect 2-bracteolate 

 flowers, solitary in the axils or sometimes several 

 together. Calyx 5-parted, its segments appendaged by 

 a broad membranous horizontal wing in fruit and enclos- 

 ing the utricle. Stamens 5. Ovary depressed ; styles 2. 

 Utricle flattened, its seed horizontal ; embryo coiled into 

 a conic spiral. 



1. S. Tragus L. Annual, more or less scabrous-pubescent, 

 bushy-branched, the branches slender, 2-6 dm. high; leaves and 

 outer bracts usually red at maturity, the former not noticeably 

 swollen at base, linear, somewhat fleshy; calyx membranous, 

 conspicuously veiny, its wings longer than the ascending lobe. 



Occasional along roadsides. Commonly called the Russian thistle. 



Family 23. AMARANTHACEAE. AMARANTH 

 FAMILY. 



Ours herbs with alternate or opposite, simple mostly 

 entire leaves. Flowers small usually green, perfect or 

 unisexual, bracteolate, variously clustered, usually in 

 terminal spikes or axillary heads. Calyx herbaceous 

 or membranous, 2-5-parted, the segments distinct or 

 more or less united. Corolla none. Stamens 1-5, mostly 

 opposite the calyx-lobes, hypogynous; anthers 1-2-celled. 

 Ovary superior, 1-celled, with 2-3 stigmas. Fruit a 

 utricle, circumscissile or bursting irregularly. Embryo 

 annular ; endosperm mealy, usually copious. 



Leaves alternate; flowers unisexual. 1. ARAMANTHUS. 



Leaves opposite; flowers perfect. 2. ALTERNANTHERA. 



