46 CHEXOPODIACE.E. Tdo.nji^. 



3. TELOXYS, Mo.iuiii. 

 Flowers perfect or sometimes pistillate, without bracts. Perianth 5- (rarely 4-) 

 parted ; the lobes more or less prominently carinate or somewhat crested, loosely and 

 only partially covering the fruit. Stamen solitary. Styles 2, distinct or united at 

 base. Pericarp membranous. Seed horizontal, Avith a crustaceous testa. Embryo 

 annular around copious albumen. — Erect diffusely branched annuals, with thin alter- 

 nate leaves, and minute solitary flowers, very shortly pedicelled, axillary and termi- 

 nal upon the repeatedly dichotomous nearly naked branches. 



Only three species, of Nortlieni Asia, central IS^orth America, and the Bolivian Andes, 

 respectively. 



1. T. COrnuta, Torrey. Glabrous or somewhat glandular-pubevulent, | to 1| 

 feet high, slender : leaves lanceolate, an inch or two long, repand-dentate or coarsely 

 sinuate-pinnatihd : calyx resinous-dotted, the acute lobes carinate with a short thick 

 crest : seed ^ of a line broad, — Pacif. R. Rep. iv. 129 ; Watson, 1. c. 91. 



Near Prescott, Arizona {Palmer), and probably ranging into S. E. California, thence to Colorado 

 and Northern Mexico. 



4. CHENOPODIUM, Tourn. Goosefoot. Pigweed. 

 Flowers perfect or sometimes pistillate, without bracts. Perianth herbaceous, 

 5- (rarely 3-4-) parted; lobes usually somewhat carinate or crested, becoming dry 

 and more or less closely covering the fi'uit, or rarely at length fleshy. Stamens 5 or 

 fewer. Styles 2, rarely 3 or 4, slender. Pericarp membranous, closely investing 

 the lenticular or subglobose horizontal or vertical seed. Testa crustaceous. Em- 

 bryo annular or curved around copious albumen. — Annuals, rarely perennial ; many 

 of them introduced weeds, usually more or less white-mealy or glandular; leaves 

 alternate, petioled ; flowers sessile and clustered, in axillary or terminal interrupted 

 spikes or panicled. — Blitum, Tourn. 



A widely distribnted genus of about 50 species, some of them among the most common weeds 

 in almost all countries. Eight or riine sjiecies are native to the interior and southern portions of 

 the United States. The limits of the genus, as distinct from Blitum, are very vague, and vaii- 

 ously drawn. Any division based upon the variable position of the seed and consistence of the 

 calyx appears to be unsatisfactory, and it has seemed best to include all our species in the one 

 genus. 



§ 1. Annual, usually somewhat mealy, but not pubescent or r/landular, nor aro- 

 7natk : fruiting calyx dry : seed lenticidar, horizontal : end)ryo coniph'fchj 

 anmdar. — Chenopodiastrum, Moquin. 



* Pericarp closely pet^sistent : leaves viore or less sinuate-dentate : seed htnja 



(f line broad). 



1. C. album, Linn. Erect and often strict, usually 2 to 4 feet high, simple or 

 branched, more or less mealy: leaves rhombic-ovate, 1 t(j 3 inches long, obtuse (U- 

 acute, at least the lower ones sinuate-dentate, the upper usually entire and lanceolati; 

 to linear: flowers densely clustered in usually close spikes, the panicle strict and 

 close or somewhat spreading : sepals strongly carinate, nearly or quite covering the 

 fruit : seed f to nearly a line broad. 



A common weed, introduced everywhere, originally from the Old World ; usually known as 

 "Pigweed "or " Lamb's Quarters." The var. viride, less mealy and with more open inflores- 

 cence, is less prevalent on the western coast than eastward. 



2. C. murale, Linn. Stout, erect or decundjent, a foot or two high, more or 

 less mealy : leaves broadly rhomboidal or triangular to lanceolate, 1 to 4 inches 



