THE FLORA OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. 97 



Dysphania Plantaginella, F. v. M. ; Dysphania litoralis, R. Br. ; Didy- 

 manthus, Eoei, Endl. ; Babbagia dipterocarpa, F. v. M. ; Suaeda maritima, 

 Dumort. — Recorded in National Herbarium Census from North Australia. 



AMARANTACEffi. 



Tribe I. Anthers 2-celled. Ovary with a single ovule. Leaves alternate. 



Stamens free. Flowers in axUlary or terminal and paniculate cymes or 

 clusters. Leaves flat. — 1. Amarantus. 



Stamens shortly united at the base. Flowers in dense single terminal 

 spikes, often shortened into heads. 



Perianth-segments with the lamina more or less plumose with dorsal 

 articulate hairs, the tips alone glabrous. — 2. PtUotus. 



Perianth-segments with the whole lamina scarious, coloured and glabrous. 

 — 3. Trichinium. 



Leaves opposite. Stamens united in a cup at the base, with truncate 

 teeth or lobes between the filaments. — 4. Achyranthes. 



Tribe II. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary with a single ovule. Leaves opposite. 



Stigma capitate. Spikes often shortened into heads axillary (rarely also 

 terminal). — 5. Alternanthera. 



Stigma 2-lobed. Spikes often shortened into heads, terminal or rarely 

 axillary. — 6. Gomphrena. 



1. AMARANTUS, Linn. 



Section I. Euamarantus. — ^Pericarp circumsciss. 



Perianth-segments mostly 4 or 5, erect or slightly dilated at the end. 

 Clusters axillary and in a long loose terminal shortly-branched spike. — 2. A. 

 leptostachyus. 



Perianth-segments mostly 5, with dilated scarious spreading laminae (when 

 in fruit). Terminal spikes usually paniculate. — 3. A. palhdiflorus. 



Section II. Euxolus. — ^Pericarp membranous, indehiscent or bursting 

 irregularly. — 1. A. interruptus. 



1. A. interruptus. R. Br. — Arnhem N. Bay and neighbouring parts of the 

 N. Coast, R. Brown ; Sandy Islands, Victoria River, F. v. Mueller ; N. Coast, 

 Landsborough. 



2. A. leptostach'jv^, Benth. — ^Port Darwin, Schultz. 



3. A. pallidiflorus, F. v. M. — ^Nichol Bay, Walcott ; Victoria River, 

 F. V. Mueller. 



2. PTILOTUS, R. Br. 1810. 



(Trichinium, R. Br., 1819, partly). 



Series I. Fohage hoary or white with a stellate tomentum (glabrous or 

 with crisped or woolly or sUky hairs in all the other species). 



Spikes dense, globular ovoid or shortly cylindrical, not exceeding 1 in. 

 Spikes 1^ to 1 in. diameter. Laminae of perianth-segments linear. 



Leaves mostly broad, rather thick and densely tomentose. 

 Spikes globular or at length ovoid. Bracts glabrous or 

 nearly so. — 19. P. obovatus. 

 Leaves mostly narrow, thick and densely tomentose. Spikes 

 ovoid, at length cyhndrical. Bracts wooUy. — 17. P. 

 incanus. 

 Spikes not above J-in. diameter. Laminae of perianth-segments, 

 almost ovate. — 4. P. astrolasius. 



