58 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 
Order Amarantacee, A. L de Jussien. 
Properties—Unimportant. On account of their often richly 
coloured flowers mostly cultivated as pot herbs, &c.. 
Alternanthera, Forske!. Htym. Alluding to the fertile stamens 
alternating usually with antherless filaments, 
A. triandra, Lamarck., Syn., A. sessilis, Br. A. denticulata, 
A. Cunn. Flowers January to June. Distributed Warmer 
regions of Asia and America, Africa, Tasmania and New 
Zealand. Variable. 
Order, Salsolacee, L. 
Properties.—Various. Chenopodium Quinoa is widely used as 
an article of food in Peru. Ch. anthelminticwm yields Wormseed 
Oil, an effective vermifuge. Spinach, Beet and others are esculents. 
Salsola and Salicornia furnish Carbonate of Soda, From Beet- 
roots, a fine sugar is extensively manufactured. Chenopodium 
olidum and baryosmon act as foetid emmenagogues. Ch. ambrosioides 
is an aromatic expectorant, &c. Many are known as pot herbs. 
Rhagodia, R. Br. Etym. From rhax, berry, alluding to the 
numerous berry-like fruits. Vern. name, Red or Sea-berry. 
R. nutans, R. Br. Flowers November to January. Distributed 
Tasmania. 
Chenopodium Tournef. Etym. From the greek, yi, xnvoe, (chen, 
chenos,) goose, and zove (pous) foot; the leaves of some species 
supposed to resemble in shape the foot of a goose. Vern. 
name, Goosefoot. 
Ch. murale, L. Vern. name, nettle-leaved Goosefoot. Introduced 
Distributed Europe, North Africa, W. Asia, to N. W. India; 
introduced in North America, Tasmania and New Zealand. 
Ch. album, LZ. Vern. name, white Goosefoot. Introduced, 
Distributed. Through colonisation dispersed over all zones. 
Contains Chenopodin. 
Enchylena, 'R. Br. Htym. Alluding to the succulent calyx. 
giving the fruit the appearance of a berry. 
E. tomentosa, R. Br. Flowers September. Distributed through- 
out Australia. 
Order Polygonacee, A. L. De Jussien. 
Properties—Often astringent and purgative; some species yield 
oxalic and malic acids; the seeds of others are farinaceous and 
esculent. ‘The all important Rhubarb is the most important in the 
order. Ooccoloba wvifera, Jacg., contains kino an astringent. 
Some species of Polygonum yield Indigo. Many species of Rumex 
contain in the root Chrysophanie acid, employed in Psoriasis, &e. 
Polygonum, Tournef. Etym. From the greek zo4ve (polus) many, 
and yorvv (gonu) knee, alluding to the many joints of the stem 
and brauches. Vern. name, Bistort or Persicaria. 
