388 Chenopodiacee. 
Orper XCII—_CHENOPODIACEZ. 
A considerable order of herbaceous or shrubby plants of little 
beauty. It is represented in Britain by about six genera and 
twenty species. The principal distinctive floral characters 
are—an inconspicuous 5-parted perianth, 5 stamens opposite 
the flat perianth-segments, and a membranous or baccate 
l-seeded fruit. Chenopidium album, Goose-foot or Fat-Hen, 
is one of the commonest of annual weeds. The ornamental 
species are few, not more than one or two being cultivated for 
the beauty of their flowers. There is a variety of the garden 
Orach, Atriplex horténsis ritbra, with crimson foliage ; and the 
Chilian Beet, Béta Chilénsis, furnishes two handsome foliage- 
plants, one bright yellow and the other crimson. 
Atriplea Halimus is a hardy dwarf evergreen shrub with 
simple alternate small ovate-oblong entire petiolate leaves 
densely clothed with a grey scaly indumentum. It is a sea- 
coast plant from the Mediterranean region. 
Chenopodium seopirvum, syn. Kéchia scopiria, Belvedere 
Cypress, is a tall slender erect-growing annual 4 to 6 feet high 
with linear lanceolate entire leaves and small greenish flowers. 
Chenopodium purpurascens, syn. C. Atriplicis, is a handsome 
annual from China, with lanceolate petiolate cntire or lobed 
leaves and clustercd heads of bight reddish purple flowers. 
The stems and foliage are frequently coloured. 
Blhilwm virgatum, Strawberry Blite, is a weedy-looking 
annual from Southern Europe and Asia, with triangular hastate 
irregularly-toothed leaves on long petioles, and inconspicuous 
spicate flowers followed by fleshy scarlet fruits. 
Orper XCIU.—_AMARANTHACEA. 
Herbs or shrubs with opposite or alternate exstipulate leaves 
and a spicate or capitate inflorescence often clothed with bright 
coloured scarious bracts. Perianth inferior, composed of 3 or 5 
scarious coloured or herbaceous segments, which are quite free 
or slightly united. Stamens 3 or 5, and opposite the perianth- 
segments, or some multiple of that number. Fruit mem- 
branous or baeeate, l-celled, 1- or more seeded; seeds 
