AMARANTACB^. 67 



11. ALTERNANTHERA, Forsk. 



(Telanthera, K. Br. Alternanthera, sect. Allaganthera, Moq., et 

 Telanthera, sect. Bucholzia, Mog.) 



Sepals 5, at length not enveloped within wool. Stamens 3-5 : anthers oval ; basilar 

 cupule short. Stigma subsessile, capitate (or subemarginate). Pericarp utricular, obcordate, 

 margined upwards, and exceeding the seed.— Herbs; leaves tapering at the hose; flowers 

 capitate, forming subglobose, axillary and terminal, mostly sessile heads. 



Sect. 1. Allagantheea. — Stamens 3, fertile, opposite the outer sepals, and tfuo sterile 

 filaments, opposite the inner ones : cupule-teeih none (or obsolete). 



16. A. sessilis, R. Br. Annual, creeping and branched at the base; stems ascending, 

 with two lines of hairs, or glabrescent ; leaves quite entire, obovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 

 usually glabrous : arils pilose ; flower-heads sessile, whije ; sepals uninemed, glabrous, three 

 times exceeding the bracts, and subexcceded by the pericarp ; staminal cnpute very short, 

 toothless (with the exception of the sterile filaments). — Wight, ic, t. 727. — Stems spitha- 

 meous; internodes exceeding the spreading leaves ; flowers f" long. — Hab. Trinidaid !, /So^acA, 

 Cr., common along roads ; Caribbean Islands ! ; [Haiti to Guiana !, Brazil !, Buenos Ayres !, 

 Niger !, Nubia 1, Egypt !, Talusch !, East Indies !]. 



Sect. 2. Teiantheea. Stamens alternating vAth the teeth of the cupule, 5, all fertile 

 (sometimes 1i of them castrate). 



17. A. polygonoides, B,. Br. Perennial, glabrous or pubescent ; branches elongated, 

 distant ; leaves elliptical-lanceolate, shortly petioled ; flower-heads sessile, white ; sepals of 

 unequal length, exterior pungent, twice exceeding the lateral, spreading, pungent bracts, 

 hispid on the back, S-costate : lateral nerves converging above the middle ; teeth of the 

 staminal cupule prominent, cut at the top, equalling or exceeding the stamens ; pericarp in- 

 cluded. — SI. t. 86./. 2 : a lAnn. citat. Mart. Nov. Gen. t. 148-151. — lUecebrum, L. Bu- 

 cholzia. Mart. Telanthera, Moq. {exelus. var. Q ■ — A very variable, herbaceous plant, with 

 the internodes exceeding the leaves, higher than the similar A. sessilis, either erect or de- 

 cumbent; flower-heads 2"'-3"' diam. : flowers H"'- 2'" long. 



a. Stem pubescent or villous ; leaves pubescent beneath : younger organs whitish with 

 down. — Telanthera crucis, Moq. Altemanthera leucantha, Moq. — Tel. martinicensis, Moq., 

 is perhaps also a form of this, with rounded leaves. 



fi. glabrescens. Stem and leaves glabrous or glabrescent : axils pilose ; sepals less hispid. 

 — T. flcoidea, Moq.! {exelus. synon.). — Altemanthera tenella, CoUa (in Mem. Turin. 33. 

 t. 9), is probably the same form ; but in the analysis (perhaps by mistake) the sepals are 

 represented as of equal length. 



Hab. Jamaica !, Alex., Wils. (a, ;8), March {a and j8), common ; Caribbean Islands and 

 Trinidad !, Cr. ; [Cuba to Buenos Ayres]. 

 /^ 18. A. ficoidea, B. Br. Perennial, prostrate, radicant, glabrous ; leaves oblanceolale, 

 veniilose, glabrous : axils villous ; flower-heads sessile, white ; sepals of equal length, pointed, ~ 

 nearly twice exceeding the bracts, pilose below on the back (or glabrescent), Z(-i)-costate: Jf^ 

 lateral nerves joined with the midrib at the middle ; teeth of the staminal cupule prominent, 

 cut at the top, usually shorter than the stamens ; pericarp included. — Jacq. Amer. Pict. t. 90: 

 a Linn, citat. Mart. Nov. Qen. t. 147. — lUecebrum, L. Bucholzia maritima. Mart. (Te- 

 lanthera, Moq.). Telanthera polygonoides, var. compacta, Moq.! — The old creeping stems 

 become elongated and woody, prostrate with all their crowded, short branches ; flower-heads 

 shining, 3"'-4'" diam.: flowers nearly 2"' long. — Hab. Jamaica!, Bist.; Caribbean Islands, 

 chiefly on the sandy seashore ; [Cuba ! and Mexico 1 to Buenos Ayres ! along the east coast, 

 .west coast of Africa], 

 /^ 19. A. Achyrantha, R. Br. Perennial; stem decumbent, leafy, pilose; leaves obovate /. 

 or oval, venulose, glabrous ; flower-heads sessile, straw-coloured or whitish ; sepals of un- *^ 

 equal length, exterior mucronate, subpungent, exceeding the bracts, villous below on the ps 

 back, S-cosiate: lateral nerves joined with the midrib at the middle; teeth of the staminal 

 tube short, subulate, entire, exceeded by the stamens; pericarp included. — Bill. Blth. 1. 1. 



