Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 17 
9. ALTERNANTHERA, Forsk. 
Herbs, usually prostrate, at any rate at base. Leaves opposite. 
Flowers hermaphrodite, small, white, in axillary often clustered 
heads; bract and 2 bracteoles scarious. Perianth segments 5, un- 
equal, the 2 lateral innermost, concave. Stamens 2—5; filaments 
short, connate in a short cup, with or without intervening stami- 
nodes; anthers 1-celled. Ovary orbicular or ovoid; style short; 
stigma capitellate; ovule solitary, pendulous from a long basal 
funicle. Fruit a compressed ovoid orbicular or obcordate utricle, the 
margins usually thickened or winged. Seed inverse, lenticular; testa 
coriaceous or crustaceous; embryo annular, surrounding the floury 
albumen ; cotyledons narrow; radicle superior.—DistTRIB. Species 
about 16, tropical and subtropical. 
1. ALTERNANTHERA SESSILIS, Br. Prodr. Flor. Nov.-Holl. 417 
(1810). A prostrate herb, or the lower part of the stem prostrate 
and rooting, the upper erect; branches many, glabrous below, the 
uppermost with 2 opposite lines of soft hairs. Leaves somewhat fleshy 
linear-oblong, lanceolate, oblanceolate or elliptic, obtuse or subacute 
at apex, narrowed at base; both surfaces glabrous; margins entire 
or obscurely denticulate ; 1—5 cm. long, 1—2 cm. broad ; main nerves 
5—T7 pairs, obscure ; petiole very short or 0. Flowers sessile, white, 
shining, in small axillary sessile heads; bract and bracteoles ovate, 
acuminate, scarious, 1—1°5 mm. long. Perianth-segments 5, nearly 
equal, ovate, acuminate, scarious, l-nerved, 2—3 mm. long. Stamens 
2—3, veryshort; staminodesusually0. Ovary obcordate, compressed, 
broader than long; style very short. Ultricle obcordate, compressed, 
about 2 mm. long by 3 mm. broad, margins prominently thickened. 
Seed 1—1°5 mm. in diam.,suborbicular ; testa coriaceous, dark brown. 
Mog. in DC. Prodr, XIII. 2. 357; Dalz. and Gibs. Bomb. FI. 220; 
Wight Ic. t. 727; Wall. Cat. 6921; Mig. Fl. Ind. Bat. I. 1. 1048; 
Hook. f. Fl. Br. Ind. IV. 731; Prain Beng. Plants 875. A. triandra, 
Lam. Encyc. Method. I. 95: Trimen FI. Ceyl. III. 405 ; Cooke Bomb. 
Fl. II. 499. A. denticulata, Wall. Cat. 6922. A. prostrata, Don 
Prodr. Fl. Nep. 86; Mog. 1. c. 360 for the most part. Gomphrena 
sessilis, Linn. Sp. Pl. 225. Achyranthes triandra, Roxb. Fl. Ind. I. 
678 and Ed. Carey and Wall. IT. 505. <‘‘Coluppa’’ Rheede Hort. 
ite ot. tb. 11. 
Prenane: Curtis 1043!; Deschamps! PrraKk: Scortechini! 
SELANGOR: Goodenough! Panana: Ridley 1214! SINGAPORE: 
Kunstler 143! Deschamps!.—Distrip. All warm countries. 
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