THE AMARANTH TRIBE. 133 



among the leaves, and of others being collected into 

 compact heads. Those genera which have the latter 

 structure, are the handsomest and most usually cul- 

 tivated ; the Proteas which are found at the Cape of 

 Good Hope, in dry, barren, stony, exposed situations, 

 are most noble looking objects, in consequence of their 

 beautiful feathery flowers being half hidden by large 

 redj or white, or black- edged bracts of the purest 

 colours. Banksias and Dryandras are chiefly valued 

 for their handsome leaves ; some of the latter are so 

 frino-ed with long hairs as to resemble the plumes of 

 birds. Thev are applied to scarcely any useful pur- 

 pose ; but appear to be perfectly harmless : their seeds 

 are sweet, and are eaten sometimes as nuts, both 

 in Africa and South America ; one of them, called 

 Wittebooju (Protea argentea), is the common fire-wood 

 at the Cape of Good Hope. 



But let us leave these show}' and useless strangers 

 for a tribe that is known to every one who has a 

 garden. Love-lies-hleeding (Amaranthus caudatus), 

 Princes Feathers (Amaranthus), Globe Amaranths 

 (Gomphrena globosa), THco/o^-s (Amaranthus tricolor), 

 and Cockscombs (Celosia coccinea), have been culti- 

 vated as long as gardens have been prized ; they form, 

 along with some others of a similar structure, what is 

 called the Amaranth tribe. This natural order, like 

 the last, has no corolla. Its calyx consists of five 

 crimson sepals (Jigs. 2. & 3.), of so dry a texture, that 

 you would say they were really dead ; these are sur- 

 rounded by a number of bracts, of the same colour 

 and texture as themselves. It is owing to the dry- 



