3 88 Chenopodiacece. 



ORDER XCII.-CHENOPODIACEJE. 



A considerable order of herbaceous or shrubby plants of little 

 beauty. It is represented in Britain by about six genera and 

 twenty species. The principal distinctive floral characters 

 are an inconspicuous 5-parted perianth, 5 stamens opposite 

 the flat perianth-segments, and a membranous or baccate 

 1-seeded fruit. Chenopodium album, Goose-foot or Fat-Hen, 

 is one of the commonest of annual weeds. The ornamental 

 species are f6w, not more than one or two being cultivated for 

 the beauty of their flowers. There is a variety of the garden 

 Orach, Atriplex hortensis r libra, with crimson foliage ; and the 

 Chilian Beet, Beta Chilensis, furnishes two handsome foliage- 

 plants, one bright yellow and the other crimson. 



Atriplex Hallmus is a hardy dwarf evergreen shrub with 

 simple alternate small ovate-oblong "entire petiolate leaves 

 densely clothed with a grey scaly indumentum. It is a sea- 

 coast plant from the Mediterranean region. 



Chenopodium scopdrium,, syn. Kochia scopdria, Belvedere 

 Cypress, is a tall slender erect-growing annual 4 to 6 feet high 

 with linear lanceolate entire leaves and small greenish flowers. 

 CJienopodium purpurdscens, syn. C. Atriplicis, is a handsome 

 annual from China, with lanceolate petiolate entire or lobed 

 leaves and clustered heads of blight reddish purple flowers. 

 The stems and foliage are frequently coloured. 



Blltum virgdtum, Strawberry Blite, is a weedy-looking 

 annual from Southern Europe and Asia, with triangular hastate 

 irregularly-toothed leaves on long petioles, and inconspicuous 

 spicate flowers followed by fleshy scarlet fruits. 



ORDER XCin.-AMARANTHACE.aa. 



Herbs or shrubs with opposite or alternate exstipulate leaves 

 and a spicate or capitate inflorescence often clothed with bright 

 coloured scarious bracts. Perianth inferior, composed of 3 or 5 

 scarious coloured or herbaceous segments, which are quite free 

 or slightly united. Stamens 3 or 5, and opposite the perianth- 

 segments, or some multiple of that number. Fruit mem- 

 branous or baccate, 1-celled, 1- or more seeded ; seeds 



