MONOECIA— PENTANDRIA. Araaranthus. 137 



In rich moist ground, or about dunghills, in the south of England, 

 but rare. 



Three miles from Portsmouth, towards London. Ray. About Dul- 

 wich. fVillisel, and Newton. In a bog beyond Peckham. Merrett. 



Annual. August, September. 



Root fibrous. Stem solitary, erect, branched, leafy, 2 feet high, 

 furrowed, solid, downy. Leaves on long stalks, lobed, cut, and 

 doubly serrated, 2 or 3 inches wide, minutely downy all over ; 

 paler beneath. Clusters axillary, leafy, of 4 or 5 fertile^owers, 

 and 1 or 2 barren ones ; all green, making no show. Nuts 

 densely armed, half an inch long, adhering to the rough coats of 

 animals, like the Arctium, v. 3. 380. 



Old tradition reports that the Xanthium is good for scrofulous 

 disorders, as the specific name seems to indicate ; but it is out 

 of use. The generic appellation alludes to a quality of dyeing 

 yellow, which Dioscorides mentions. 



434. AMARANTHUS. Amaranth. 



Liu.i. Gen. 490. Juss. 88. Fl. Br. 1018. Tourn. t. 118. H— L. 

 Lam.t. 7Q7. Gcertn.t. 128. 



Nat. Ord. Holeracece. Linn. 12. Amaranthi. Juss. SO. 



Barr.Jl. Col. of 3, or 5, erect, elliptic-lanceolate, coloured, 

 permanent leaves. Cor. none. Filam. 3 or .5, capillary, 

 erect, not longer than the calyx, opposite to its segments. 

 Anth. oblong, versatile, of 2 lobes. 



Fert.Jl. in the same cluster. Cal. the same. Cor. none. 

 Germ, superior, ovate. Sti/les 3, sometimes but 2. Stigm. 

 luidivided, acute, downy on the upper side. Caps, ovate, 

 thin, bursting all round, of 1 cell. Seed solitary, glo- 

 bose, compressed, filling the capsule. 



Species numerous, chiefly extraeuropaean, herbaceous, an- 

 nual, with stalked, alternate, simple, undivided, entire 

 leaves, and copious, crowded, green or reddish^otO£T5. 



1 . A. Blituvi. Wild Amaranth. 

 Flowers three-cleft and triandrous, in small lateral tufts. 

 Leaves ovate. Stem diffuse. 



A. Blitum. Linn. % PZ. 1405. W'iZ/d. r. 4. 387. F/. Br. 1018. 

 Engl. Bot.v.^\.t. 2212. 



A. n. 1606. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 280. 



Blitum rubrum minus. Rail Cant. 23. Dill, in Raii Syn. 157. 

 Bauh.Hist.v.2.967.f. Ger. Em. 321./. 



B. rubrum. Matth. Valgr. «. 1 . 4 1 1 ./. 

 B. album. Ca^ner. Epit. 236 ? /. 



