APETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS. 483 



* Staminate and pistillate flowers on the same spike. 



A. ViRGiNiCA, L. Annual, smoothish or liairj; steyn 

 erect, branched ; leaves thin, long-peiioled, rhombic-ovate 

 or oblong-ovate, acnte, coarsely serrate above the middle; 

 staminate spikes few-flowered, mostly shorter than the 

 large o-9-lobed bracts, with 1-3 pistillate floivers at the 

 base ; capsule pubescent. Stem l°-2° high ; leaves, with 

 the petiole, 4-5' long. Kear Austin. 



** staminate and pistillate flowers on separate spikes. 



A. Caroliniana, Walt. Annual ; ste7n erect, much 

 branched, pubescent ; leaves thin, smooth, cordate-ovate, 

 sharply serrate, long-petioled ; staminate sjjike lateral, 

 small, the minute white flowers pediceled; pistillate spike 

 terminal, stout, many-flowered ; bracts cut into several subu- 

 late lobes ; capsule bristly ; seeds silvery, pitted. Cultivated 

 ground. July-September. Stem l°-2° high ; leaves 2-3' 

 long. 



TRAGIA, Phim. 



Floivers monoecious, apetalous, in slender racemes; ster- 

 ile fioivers few or numerous, caducous; calyx 3-4-parted ; 

 stamens 2-4, with short and separate filaments \— fertile 

 floicers few or solitary at the base of the raceme ; calyx 

 5-8-parted ; style 3-cleft ; stigmas entire ; capsule bristl}% 

 of three globose 1-celled, 1-seeded, 2-valved carpels. — Pu- 

 bescent or bristly herbs, with watery juice ; leaves alternate; 

 racemes opposite the leaves and terminal ; bracts small, en- 

 tire, persistent; flowers minute, greenish. 



T. UREXS, L. Low, downy or hairy ; stem at length 

 much branched ; leaves nearly sessile, varying from broadly 

 ovate or oblong-ovate, and serrate or toothed throughout, 

 or only at the apex, to linear and entire, obtuse, paler be- 

 neath ; racemes shorter than the leaves and few-flowered, 

 or elongated and many-flowered. (T. linearifolia, Ell., the 

 narrow-leaved form.) Dry sandy soil. May-August. 

 Stem 6-12' high ; leaves l'-2' long. Perennial. 



