AMAKANTACE^. (aMAEANTH FAMILY.) 381 



2! E. pumilus, Raf. Stem low, somewhat fleshy; leaves small, mostlyi 

 crowded near the end of the branches, ovate, obtuse, short-petioled ; flowers in 

 small axillary clusters ; sepals 5, half as long as the ovate obscurely 5-ribbed 

 utricle. ( Amarantus pumilus, Niiit.) — Sandy sea-shore. South Carolina, and 

 northward Aug. and Sept. 



4. AMBLOGYNA, Raf. 



Flowers monoecious. Staminate flowers 3-sepaIous, triandrotis. Pistillate 

 flowers round-funnel-shaped, 5-cleft, with spreading spatulate scarious lobes, 

 enclosing the Indehiscent utricle. Otherwise like Amarantus. 



I. A. polygonoides, Raf. Stem slightly pubescent, slender, branching 

 from the base ; leaves small, rhombic-ovate or obovate, obtuse, notched, tapering 

 into a slender petiole ; flowers crowded in axillary clusters, shorter than the 

 petiole ; bracts subulate ; calyx of the pistillate flowers twice as long as the 

 bracts, with a finely ribbed tube, and a spreading white border ; utricle ovate, 

 rugose above, 3-cleft at the apex. — South Florida. ^ — Stem 1° - 1^° long. 

 Leaves J'- I' long. 



5. SCLEROPUS, Schrad. 



Flowers monoecious, 3-bracted, triandrous. Calyx 5-sepalous. TJtricle inde- 

 hiscent. Staminate flowers solitary, sessile in the upper axils. Pistillate flowers 

 clustered in the lower axils, on flattened pedicels whidh become indurated, and 

 fall away with the mature fruit. Otherwise like Amarantus and Euxolus. 



1. S. crassipes, Moqiiln. Smooth; stem erect, branching; leaves obo- 

 vate, obtuse, notched, tapering into a slender petiole; clusters shorter than the 

 petiole; sepals much longer than the! strongly kedefl bracts, spatulate, obtuse, 

 enclosing the granular-roughened utricle. — South Florida. (J) — Stem l°-2<' 

 high. Leaves 1' long. 



e. ACNIDA, Mitchell. 



Flowers dioecious, 3-bracted. Calyx of the staminate flower 5-sepalous. of 

 the pistillate flower none. Stamens 5, free. Sterile filaments none : anther-cells 

 united only in the middle. Stigmas 3-5, spreading, shorter than the 1-ovuled 

 ovary. Utricle fleshy, 3 - 5-angled, indehiscent. Seed obovate. Radicle infe- 

 rior. — A smooth marsh annual, with long lanceolate alternate entire leaves, and 

 thin scarious white flowers in axillary and terminal panicles. 



1. A. australis, Gray. — Marshes and river-banks, Florida, and north- 

 ward. Aug. and Sept. — Stem stout, branched, 2° -8° high. Leaves Ion g- 

 petioled, 3' -6' long, obtuse or acuminate. Spikes cylindrical, panicled. 

 Sepals pointed. Bracts of the pistillate flowers subulate. 



7. IRESINE, Browne. 



Flowers perfect or didecioiis, 3-bracted. Se!pals 5. Stamens 5, united into a 

 Cup at the base. Sterile filaments none : anthers 1-celled, ovate. Style very 



