Amaranth Family 133 



1. AMABANTHUS L. AMARANTH. 



Ours annual weeds, with alternate petioled undulate 

 or crisped leaves, and polygamous or monoecious small 

 green or purplish flowers, in dense spikes or axillary 

 clusters. Calyx of 2-5 distinct sepals. Anthers 2-celled, 

 longitudinally dehiscent. Fruit indehiscent or circum- 

 scissile, beaked by the persistent style. 



1. A. retroflexus L. Stems stout erect, with a few erect or 

 ascending branches from the base, 3-10 dm. high; herbage rather 

 deep green often somewhat reddish, roughish-puberulent ; leaves 

 rhombic-ovate, ovate or the upper lanceolate, on slender petioles, 

 2-6 cm. long or sometimes longer; flowers green, densely clus- 

 tered in terminal and axillary spikes, which are sessile, stout, 

 ovoid-cylindric, erect or ascending, 2-4 cm. long, 8-14 mm. 

 broad; bracts lanceolate-subulate, scarious except the carinate 

 midrib, 3-6 mm. long; sepals 5, scarious, oblong-lanceolate, cus- 

 pidate, 2 mm. long or less; stamens 5; utricle black and shining, 

 cireumscissile, about 1 mm. broad. 



Frequent in uncultivated orchards and gardens. Native of Europe. 



2. A. graecizans L. Stems erect, bushy-branched, glabrous, 

 whitish, 2-6 dm. high; leaves oblong, spatulate or obovate, 2-4 

 cm. long, slender petioled; flowers polygamous, in small axillary 

 clusters; bracts subulate, pungent-pointed, much longer than 

 the 3 membranous sepals ; stamens 3 ; utricle slightly rugose, 

 longer than the sepals; seeds about 0.7 mm. broad. (A. albus 

 L.) 



Rather common summer weed in cultivated fields. Native of Europe. 



3. A. blitoides Wats. Stems somewhat succulent, prostrate, 

 3-6 dm. long, whitish; leaves glabrous, deep green, shining; 

 flowers in small axillary few-flowered spikelets ; bracts ovate- 

 oblong, shortly acuminate, 2-3 mm. long; sepals 4-5, 1.5-2 mm. 

 long, oblong, obtuse and mucronulate or acute; stamens 3; 

 utricle smooth, circumscissile; seed 1.5 mm. broad. 



Moist soil at Santa Monica, Davidson. Common about Rialto. 



4. A. deflexus L. Glabrous, purplish-green, somewhat suc- 

 culent; stem usually much branched, erect, stout or slender, 



