AMAEANTACE^. (AJiIAKj^NTH- FAMILY.) S67 



9. SAL.S61.A, L. Saltwort. 



Flowers perfect, with 2 bractlets. Calyx 5-parted, persistent and enclosing 

 the depressed fruit in its base ; its divisions at length horizontally winged on the 

 back, the wings forming a broad and circular scarions border. Stamens mostly 

 5. Styles 2. Seed horizontal, without albumen, filled by the embryo, which is 

 coiled in a conical spiral (cochleate). — Herbs, or slightly shrubby branching 

 plants, of the sea^shore, with fleshy and rather terete or awl-shaped leaves, often 

 spiny-tipped, and sessile axillary flowers. (Kame from sal, salt ; in allusion to 

 the alkaline salts these plants copiously contain.) 



1. S. Kali, L. (Common Saltwort.) Annual, diffusely branching, 

 rough or smoothish ; leaves alternate, awl-shaped, prickly-pointed ; flowers sin- 

 gle ; calyx with the converging lobes forming a sort of beak over the fruit, the 

 large rose or flesh-colored wings nearly orbicular and sprea^ng. — Sandy sea- 

 shore; common. August. — A very prickly bush-like plant. (Eu.) 



BiiA vulgAkis, the Bbet, with its varieties, the Scarcity and Mangd Wurt- 

 zd, — and SpinAcia olbkAcua, the Spinach, — well-known esculent plants, 

 also belong to this family. 



Oeder 91. AMARAJVTACE^. (Amaeanth Family.) 



Weedy herbs, with nearly the characters of the last famUy, hut the flowers 

 mostly imbricaled vAh dry and scarious persistent brads, often colored, com- 

 monly 3 in number; the one-celled ovary many-ovuled in one tribe. (The 

 greater part of the order tropical, but several have found their way north- 

 ward as weeds.) 



Synopsis. 



Tbibb I. ACHYRAJfTHEa!. Anthers 2-oeUed. Ovary l-ovuled. Utricle l-seeded. 

 * Flowers monoecioas or sometimes perfect. 



1. AMARANTHS Calyx of 5 01 3 Bepa.lB, and S-bracted. Fruit opening transversely (clt- 



camcisslle) ; the upjier part falling away. 



2. EUXOLUS. CaJyxQiostly of 3 sepals. Fruit indehisoent or bursting irregularly. 



# * Flowers dioeciouB : calyx none in the fertile flowers. 

 8. 3I0NTELIA Fruit a thin and even utricle, opening tranBversely, as in No. 1. Stigmas 



long, plumose-hairy. 

 1, AONID A. Fruit 3 - Singled and fleshy, indehiscent. 



Tribb n. GOMPHRBiNE.SE. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary and fruit as in Tribe I. 



5. IRESINE. Calyx of 6 sepals. Stamens united below into a cup. 



6. FROBLICHIA. Calyx 5-cle£t at the apex. Filaments united throughout into a tube. 



1. AMARANTUS, Toum. Amaranth. 



Flowers monoeciously polygamous, 3-bracted. Calyx of 5, or rarely 3, equal 

 erect sepals, glabrous. Stamens 5, rarely 3, separate : anthers 2-celled. Stig- 

 mas 2 or 3. Fruit an ovoid l-s&ded membranaceous utricle, 2 - 3-beaked at 

 the apex, mostly longer than the calyx, opening transversely all round, the 



