AMARANTHACEAE 



213 



4 (1759) 130, Syst. ed. 10 (1759) 1268, Sp. PL ed. 2 (1763) 

 1404, in which he was followed by various authors — Lamarck, 

 Loureiro, Willdenow, Burman f., and others. The form de- 

 scribed and figured appears to me to be Amaranthus viridis 

 Linn. Blitum indicum I album Rumph. has also been reduced 

 to Amaranthus polygamus Linn, by numerous authors, to Ama- 

 ranthus oleraceus Linn., and to Euxolus polygamus Moq. 



AMARANTHUS GANGETICUS Linn. Syst. ed. 10 (1759) 1268. 



Blitum indicum IV terrestre Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 232, t. 82, f. 2? 

 Amboina, Way tommo, Robinson PL Rumph. Amb. 136, August 16, 1913, 

 locally known as bay a. 



The specimen cited appears to represent a dwarfed form of 

 Amaranthus gangeticus Linn, and agrees fairly well with the 

 figure cited. Blitum indicum IV terrestre Rumph. has been very 

 generally reduced to Amaranthus tristis Linn. 



AMARANTHUS SPINOSUS Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) 991. 



Blitum spinosum Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 234, t. 83, f. 1. 

 Amboina, Robinson PL Rumph. Amb. 137, 138, August, September, 1913, 

 along road sides at low altitudes. 



The form cited aboVe certainly represents Blitum spinosum 

 Rumph., but is not typical Amaranthus spinosus Linn., differing 

 from it in its smaller flowers and in its few, scattered, short 

 spines. The reduction was first made by Linnaeus, in Stickman 

 Herb. Amb. (1754) 21, Amoen. Acad. 4 (1759) 130, Syst. ed. 

 10 (1759) 1269, Sp. PL ed. 2 (1763) 1407, which disposition of 

 it has been accepted by all authors. The figure is poor and is 

 very greatly reduced in size. 



The form from Macassar, Celebes, very briefly described as 

 Blitum spinosum e Macassar Rumph., Herb. Amb. 5: 234, is prob- 

 ably the typical, robust form of Amaranthus spinosus Linn. 



AMARANTHUS TRICOLOR Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) 989. 

 Amarantus versicolor Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 237. 

 Blitum indicum III rubrum Rumph. Herb. Amb. 5: 232? 



The description of Amarantus versicolor applies unmistakably 

 to the rather robust form with variegated and variously colored 

 leaves found in cultivation in many typical countries. The 

 species has been reduced by various authors to Amaranthus 

 gangeticus Linn, and to A. melancholicus Linn., but Amaranthus 

 tricolor Linn, has priority. The reduction of the form that 

 Rumphius described was first made by Henschel. The form 

 foliis obscure rubentibus described in this chapter by Rumphius 

 probably also belongs here. 



