372 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I BOTANY. 



A monoecious shrub, glabrous, annual (?), fleshy and decumbent, the 

 branches falsely trichotomous, not jointed ; the leaves sessile, semiterete, 

 fleshy, obtuse, the spikes or unisexual strobili solitary on the ends of the 

 branches or laxly and few-gregariously sessile. 



Allied to Pachycornia Hook, f., but very distinct. 



HALOPHYTUM AMEGHINOI Speg. ( Tetragonia ameghinoi Speg. in Nov. 



Add. ad Fl. Patag., n. 147). 



Glabrous, mediocre annual with opposite or alternate, divaricate branches. 

 Leaves sessile, linear, obtuse. Flowers solitary, sessile, or rarely stalked in 

 the upper axils. Sepals 4, cruciate. Ovary obovate. Drupe i-5-celled. 



S. Patagon., by Rio Chico de la Sta. Cruz, and by Lago Viedma. 



In sandy marshes in South Patagonia and Chubut. 



The. female spikes simulate densely leafy branchlets in bud. 



Family 33. AMARANTACE.E. Amaranth Family. 



Herbs or (tropical) shrubs, with simple, thin leaves, and small, green or 

 white, apetalous flowers, perfect or diclinous, scarious-br acted and 2-brac- 

 teolate, often in spikes or heads. Calyx-segments 1-5. Stamens 1-5, 

 hypogynous; anthers i-2-celled ; filaments mostly united below. Ovary 

 i -celled. Stigmas 1-3. Ovules i, rarely more. Fruit mostly a circum- 

 scissile utricle or irregularly dehiscing, or indehiscent. Embryo annular. 

 Endosperm large. 



Species 425, most in warm countries. 



Allied to Chenopodiacecz, but differing by 



(a] Bracts scarious, not leafy. 



( b ) Habit less fleshy, and leaves thin. 



( c ) Frequent union of filaments. 



(d] Sometimes by i -celled anthers. 



( e } Sometimes by plurality of seeds. 



(/) Utricle not closely connected with the persisting perianth. 

 Utricle being commonly circumscissile. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



A. Anthers 2-celled. Ovule erect. Leaves alternate. 



b. Perianth-segments erect in anthesis. Flowers polygamo-dicecious. Stamens 2-5. Utricle 

 indehiscent or circumscissile. I. Amarantus. 



