718 cxvi, AMAEANTACE^. (J. D, Hookei.) [Diger&. 



324 ; Ch-if. Notul. iv. 343, and In. PL Asiat. t. 527 ; Balz. Sf Gibs. Bomb. 

 Fl. 218, f. 2. D. mnricata & ciliata, Mart. Seitr. Amaranth. 77 ; JVall. 

 Cat. 6886, 6887. D. ciliata, Moq. I. o. D. Forskalii, Slume Bijd. 542. 

 D. alternifolia, Aschers. in ScJiweinf. Seitr. 180 ; JSoiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 994. 

 Desmocliete alternifolia, DO. Oat. Sort. Monsp. (1813), 103. D. mnricata, 

 Wight Ic. t. 732. D. ciliata, Roem. Sf Sck. Syst. v. 553; Mart. I. c. 113; 

 Wall. Cat. 6887. Achyranthes polygonoides Setz. Obs. ii. 12 (not ofSeyne). 

 A. Digera, Poir. Diet. Suppl. i. 2, 11. A. alternifolia, Linn, Mant. 50, 341 ; 

 Boxb. Fl. Ind. i. 674, and JSd. Carey Sf Wall. ii. 500. A. mnricata, j3, 

 Willd. 8p. PI. i. 1193. Ohamissoa arabica, ciliata, commntata & mnri- 

 cata, Spreng. Syst. i. 815. Oladostacliys alternifolia, Sweet Sort. Brit. 

 Ed. 3, 570. 0. mnricata, Moq. I. c. 235. 



BEifaAi and N.W. India in the plains to Peshawar and the Salt range. PEGfTT, 

 Wallich. South Deccan ; the Concan, Mysore, and the Carnatic, Mei/ne, &c. 

 Ceylon, N. part of the island. — Distbib. Java, Afghanistan and Beluchistau to Arabia 

 and N. Africa. 



A glabrous or ciliate slender annual, 1-2 ft. high, becoming perennial, with spread- 

 ing branches, prostrate below. Leaves very variable, membranous, J-3 in., ovate 

 and acute or elliptic or rounded, base rounded or cuneate ; petiole 4—2 in., slender. 

 Spikes 1-3 in., slender, axillary, long or short peduncled; bracts subulate, persistent; 

 owers I in. in distant clusters, greenish. Seeds pale. 



7. AMARANTUS, Linn. 



Annuals. Leaves alternate. Flowers unisexual, small, in axillary 

 ■clusters, or in panicled erect or drooping densely or laxly spiked clusters. 

 Sepals 5 or 1-3, ovate oblong linear lanceolate or aristate. Stamens 1-5, 

 free ; antbers 2-celled ; staminodes 0. Ovary compressed ; style short or 0, 

 stigmas 2-3 filiform or subulate ; ovule 1, erect. Utricle compressed, 

 indebiscent or circumsciss, tip entire or 2-3-tootbed. Seed orbicular, com- 

 pressed, testa crustaceous; embryo annular, cotyledons linear. — Species 

 undetermined, tropical and subtropical, a large proportion known only in 

 cxdtivation. 



* Bracts setaceous or awned, exceeding the 5 sepals. Stamens 5. Utricle 

 circumsciss, top %-Z-fld. 



1. A. spinosus, Linn. ; erect, glabrous, stem terete, leaf-axils with. 

 5 spines, leaves long-petioled ovate or oblong obtuse, flowers in axillary 

 clusters and long dense- or lax-fld. spikes, bracts setaceous equalling or 

 exceeding the sepals, stamens 5, utricle rugose nearly equalling the sepals. 

 Moq. in DO. Prodr. xii. 2, 260 ; Willd. Amarant. t. 4, f . 8 ; Boxb. Fl. Ind. 

 iii. 611 ; Orah. Oat. Bomb. PI. 169 ; Dalz. Sf Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 216 ; Wight 

 Ic. t. 513 ; Wall. Oat. 6894. 



Throughout India and Cbtlon, in waste places, fields and gardens. — Distbib. 

 Various tropical countries. 



Stem 1-2 ft., hard; spines straight, | in. and under. Leaves 1^-4 by |-2 in., 

 base cuneate j petiole slender, equalling the blade or shorter. Flowers 5', in. long. 

 Sepals of male acuminate, of female obtuse apiculate. Stigmas 2. Utricle with a 

 thickened top. Seeds j'j in. diam., black, shining, border obtuse not thickened. — The 

 plant varies in colour from green to red and purple. 



2. A. panlculatus,£??i72. Sp.Pl. Ed. 2, 1406 ; tall, robust, stem striate, 

 leaves long-petioled elliptic- or ovate-lanceolate acute or finely acuminate, 

 spikes in dense thyrses squarrose from the long recurved bracts, centre one 



