AMAEAXTH FAMILY. 



275 



Fr. Epinard des potagers. Germ. Der Spinat. Span. Espinaca. ^ 



Root annual. Stem 18 inclies- 2 feet liigli, somewhat branched, or often simple. Leaves 

 2-4 inches long, cuneately tapering to a^etioZe 1-3 or 4 inches in length. i^Zowers green- 

 ish. i^Vwii enclosed in the subglobose persistent calyx, which is scarcely cleft at maturity, 

 and often not prickly in the variety usually cultivated. 



Gardens : cultivated. Native of the east. Fl. June-July. Fr. Aug. -September. 



Ohs. This well-known pot-herb — said to have been first brought into 

 Spain by the Arabs — is frequently found in gardens, — especially in the 

 vicinity of our cities and market towns. The Atriplex hortensis, L., or 

 Garden Orach, is another pot-herb, belonging to this tribe ; but I be- 

 lieve it is not much cultivated in the United States. 



Order LIX. AMAKANTA'CEJE. (Amaranth Family.) 



Weed-hke herbs ; characters nearly as those of the preceding Order — but the flowers 

 imbricated with dry scarious persistent bracts, which are usually colored, commonly 3 in 

 number ; calyx of 3 - 5 sepals, dry scarious and persistent. 



The plants of this Order are mostly natives of tropical countries, a number of them 

 have become naturalized among us as weeds, while others are cultivated as ornamental 

 plants. Among the best known of the latter are Love Lies Bleeding and Princes' Feather 

 (both species of Aharantus) , Coxcomb (Celosia cristatu) , and the Globe Amaranth (Gom- 

 PHECii Globosa) . 



1. AMRAN'TUS, L. Amaranth. 



[Greek, a, not, maraino, to fade, and anthos, a flower ; the flowers not changing or fading.] 



Flowers monceciously 'polygamous : calyx of 3 - 5 sepals, mostly colored, 

 slightly connected at base. Stamens 3-5, free. Stigmas 2-3. The fruit 

 an ovoid, 1-seeded membranaceous utricle, 2 - 3-beaked at the apex, 

 mostly longer than the calyx, opening transversely all round, — the upper 

 part falling away as a lid. Embryo coiled into a riug around the albu- 

 men. Coarse annual weeds, with minute flowers in axillary or terminal- 

 spiked clusters. 



* Flowers in terminal and axillary, simple or mostly panicled spikes, green; 

 stem unarmed ; stamens and sepals 5. 



1. A. hy'bridus, L. Bracts awned, sometimes tinged reddish ; fruit 2- 

 3-cleft at the apex, nearly smooth, not exceeding the calyx. 



Hybrid Amarantus. Green Amaranth. Pigweed. 



Leaves ovate-oblong or ovate, acute, smooth bright green. Spikes erect, obtuse, in 

 loosely branched panicles, the terminal one longer. 



2. A. clilorosta chys, Willd. Bracts awn-pointed, rather longer than the 

 calyx, which is shorter than the 2 - 3-toothed rugose fruit. 

 Green-spiked Amarantus. 



Leaves bright deep green, long-petioled, ovate or rhomlic-ovate. Spilces ascending, acute 

 crowded in an open panicle, the terminal one long and often nodding. 



3. A. retroflex'us, L. Bracts pointed, twice the length of the calyx, 

 which is longer than the rugose fruit. 



