Synopsis of North American Amaranthacex. IV. 
EDWIN B. ULINE AND WM. L. BRAY. 
ALTERNANTHERA Forsk. Fl. Aigypt. Arab. 28. 1775. 
coe R. Br. (excl. Lithophila Sw.) Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. 1: 
417. 1810. 
Mogiphanes Mart. Nov. Gen. et Sp. 2: 29. pl. 129, 134. 1826. 
Plant mostly herbaceous, very variable in habit, with flow- 
ers clustered in dense terminal heads (as in Gomphrena) or 
axillary (as in Cladothrix), usually inconspicuous bracts, five 
free often unequal sepals, two to five stamens (five in ours) 
coalescent into a tube, alternating above with the staminodia, 
which are entire, pointed, and sometimes much reduced, or 
wider and more or less Jaciniate, with an ovate or some- 
times obcordate compressed slightly winged ovary, and cap- 
itate stigma. 
*Staminodia simple. 
1. A. REPENS (L.) Kuntze Rev. Gen. Pl. 540. 1891. 
Achyranthes repens L. Sp. Pl. 1: 205. 1753. 
Alternanthera Achyrantha R. Br. 1. c. 1810. 
Stem prostrate, freely branching and forking, pubescent, 
15 to 50™ long: leaves glabrate, orbicular to ovate, narrowed 
into a short petiole: glomerules axillary: flower slightly com- 
Pressed: sepals lanceolate, with prominent median nerve, 
Spiny-pointed, strongly unequal, the two short ones thickly 
Pubescent with barbed hairs, fuscous: sterile filaments nearly 
equaling the fertile ones: utricle ovate, slightly compressed, 
encircled near the apex by an acute horizontal rim.—Sout 
Carolina, Georgia, throughout the gulf states in the region of 
the gulf, extending westward to Southern California and Chi- 
huahua, and southward into Mexico as far as San Luis Potosi. 
7 near A. paronychiotdes in external aspect. Type un- 
nown. , 
** Staminodia short, dentate. 
2. A. PUNGENS HBK. Nov. Gen. et Sp. 2: 206. 1817. 
A. Achyrantha Ieiantha Seub. 
A. echinata Sm. Rees Cycl. Suppl. no. 10. 
Very similar to A. repens, but with larger leaves, echi- 
nate heads, the bracts and two of the perianth segments armed 
31—Vol. XX.—No. 10. 
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