A M A -RANT -H. 
A'M-ARANTH, /• [from «, priv. and /zapcMiw, to 
-fall or wither : becaufe the flower being cropped does not 
toon wither.] In botany, a genus of the monoecia pen- 
tandria clafs. The generic characters are—I. Male flowers 
-on the fame plants -with the females. Calyx: perian- 
thium five or three-leaved, upright, coloured, permanent; 
leaflets lanceolate, acute. Corolla : none, unlefs you take 
the calyx for fuch. Stamina : filaments five or three 
capillary, from upright patulous, the length of the calyx. 
-Anthers: oblong, verfatile. II. Female flowers in the fame 
raceme with the males. Calyx: perianthium as in the 
jnale. Piftillum : germ ovate; flyles three, fhort, fubu- 
iate. Stigmas Ample permanent. Pericarpium : capfule 
ovate, fomevvhat comprefied, .as is the calyx on which it 
is placed, coloured and of the fame lize, three-beaked, 
one-celled, cut open tranfverfely. Seed : Angle, globu¬ 
lar, comprefied, large .—EJfential CharaBer. Male. Calyx: 
three or five leaved. Corolla: none. Stamina: three 
or five. Female. Calyx: three or five leaved. Corolla: 
•none. Styles, three. Capfule one-celled, opening hori¬ 
zontally. Seed, one. 
The amaranths .are annual, herbaceous plants.. The 
leaves Ample, alternate, ending in a little bridle. Stipules 
•none. Flowers loofely difpofed either in glomerules or in 
fpikes. Almoft all the fpecies are natives of America, 
efpecially North America; fome however are found in 
the tropical countries of Afia and Africa, and two only in 
Europe. The old Englifh names of the few forts formerly 
known, were flower-gentle, floramour, and velvet-flower, 
or flower-velure ; but all thefe have given place to ama¬ 
ranth. Moft of the fpecies are uled as culinary plants in 
hot countries ; and the feeds of feveral have been fent to 
England, with advice to cultivate them for the fame pur- 
pole here. Where efculent plants are lcarce, thefe may 
be efteemed ; but fpinach being cultivated with us with 
.greater eafe, and being alfo much preferable, thefe are 
.not worthy of being propagated as efculents. 
Species. I. With three ftamens. i. Amaranthus gras- 
cizan, or pellitory-leaved amaranth : glomerules axillary; 
leaves lanceolate repandobtufe. Native of North America. 
It flowers from July to September. 
2. Amaranthus albus, or white amaranth: glomerules 
axillary.; leaves roundilh-ovate emarginate, Item fou-r- 
rornered Ample. This fpecies is nearly related to the fil'd, 
from which however it may be diftinguilhed by its Hem, 
-and by the petioles of the leaves which are not fo flout as 
.in the other. Native of Penfylvania, on the coart, from 
.whence it has migrated into Italy. It flowers in July and 
Align It, 
3. Amaranthus deflexus- Fpike very fliort with few 
flowers, leaves rhomb-lanceolate, capfules not gaping. 
It is diftinguilhed from the red, by the capfule not open- 
dng tranverfely, but being entire. Native place .unknown. 
4. Amaranthus polygonoides, or fpotted-leaved ama¬ 
ranth : glomerules three-leaved; female flowers funnel- 
fliaped ; leaves rhomb-ovate emarginate. This fpecies 
varies in different fituations. In a hot-bed the Items were 
a foot high, and thg whole plant was green except the 
calyxes. In the open air the Hem was red, the length of 
the middle finger, almoft upright ; and the leaves were 
•much fmaller. It differs from the other fpecies, particu¬ 
larly from the‘fecond, which it moft refembles, in having 
the Item round, and the calyx of the .female flowers one- 
leafed and funnel-lhaped. Found wild by way-fides and 
among rubbilh in the tropical countries of Afia, Africa, 
and America ; as in Jamaica, Guiana, Senegal, Guinea, 
.Ceylon, See. It flowers in Auguft. 
£. Amaranthus polygamies, or hermaphrodite ama¬ 
ranth : glomerules two-ftamened, fubfpiked, ovate ; flow¬ 
ers hermaphrodite and .female; leaves lanceolate. A 
.native .of Guiana, China, Cochin, and Amboina. The 
inhabitants eat the leaves and ftalks of this fort, boiled, 
-with oil and pepper, and prefer it to any of the others. It 
was introduced among us in .1780, by .Sir Jofcph Banks, 
(baronet.; .and flowers in July and Auguft. 
3 8 7 
6 . Amaranthus mangoftatws: glomerules fubfpiked, 
axillary, lolitary; leaves rhomb-roundilh. .Native of.the 
Eaft Indies. 
7. Amaranthus inamaeuus:. glomerules fubfpiked, 
three-leaved, axillary, geminate, leaves rhomb-lanceo¬ 
late. This refembles the foregoing fpecies very.much; 
but differs in having .a three-leaved calyx; the glome¬ 
rules axillary and in pairs ; the fpike terminating, ereft, 
and more {lender ; tjic leaves rhomb-lanceolate ; and the 
petiole fliorter than the leaves. It is fuppofed to be a 
native of Japan. 
8. Amaranthus melancholicus, or two-coloured ama¬ 
ranth : glomerules axillary pedunoled roundilh, leaves 
ovate-lanceoiate coloured. This fpecies varies in the co¬ 
lour of the leaves. In the open air, they are of a dirty 
purple on their upper furface, and the younger ones are 
green ; in a ftove the whole plant is of a fine purple colour. 
It is however eafily diftinguilhed in all flutes by its colour, 
its leaves, and the latenefs of its flowering, after all the 
others are paft. 
9. Amaranthus gangeticus, or oval-fpiked amaranth: 
glomerules jn very fliort fpikes, ovate ; leaves ovate-lan¬ 
ceolate, emarginate. It varies with leaves entirely green. 
Perhaps it may be a variety of the foregoing fpecies ; but 
it differs from it, in having a terminating fpike ; axillary, 
fertile glomerules ; leaves not fo much waved or wrinkled ; 
and alfo in its colour. Native of Bengal, and the Society 
Ifles. It flowers from July to.September. 
To. Amaranthus oleraceus, or eatable amaranth : glo¬ 
merules axillary branching, leaves wrinkled oblong very 
obtufe emarginate. Native of Guiana, the Eaft Indies, 
and Egypt. It is not entitled to .a place in gardens on 
account of its beauty. This and the next fort are efteemed 
in fome parts of India as efculent herbs; they gather 
them when young, and dr eft them as we do fpinach ; but, 
being much inferior to it, they are feldom ufed where 
Fpinach will thrive. It flowers in July. 
n. Amaranthus viridis, or green amaranth: glome¬ 
rules axillary geminate., male flowers trifid, leaves ovate 
emarginate, ftem ereii. This fort is diftinct from all the 
reft, in having the brafites not furrounding the flowers, 
but fcactered along the r.achis.of the glomerule. Native.of 
Jamaica and Braid. It flowers in Auguft and September. 
12. Amaranthus tricolor, .or three-coloured amaranth : 
glomerules fertile roundilh ftem-clafping, leaves lanceo¬ 
late-ovate coloured. It varies in the colour of the leaves, 
which are lefs painted in the open air than in the ftove. 
It was in Gerard’s garden, in 1596, and flowers from June 
to September. It has been long cultivated for the beauty 
of its varigated leaves, in which the colours are elegantly 
mixed. When the plants are in full vigour, thefe are 
large, and clofely let from -Tie bottom to the top „of the 
ftalks; the branches alfo form a fort of pyramid : fo that 
there is not a more handfome plant than this, when it is 
in full luftre. Native of Guiana, Perfia, Ceylon, China, 
Japan, the Society, Ifles, &c. 
13. Amaranthus lividus, or livid amaranth : glomerules 
fubfpiked rounded, leaves elliptic retufe, ftem upright. 
Native of Virginia and Guiana. It flowers from July to 
September. 
14. Amaranthus triftis, or round-headed amaranth : 
glomerules in loofe fpikes, leaves iubcordate-ovate emar¬ 
ginate, fhorter than the petioles, Native of China, Co¬ 
chin, Amboina, and Brafil. The young plants of this 
fort are much ufed, as we do fpinach, in thefe countries. 
Linneus fays, that the leaves have a livid fpot underneath, 
but this is not always obferyable. The colour of the 
leaves, although it be .remarkable in this genus, is yet 
changed by culture. It flowers from June to A.uguft. 
15. Amaranthus blitum, or leaft .amaranth or blite : 
glomerules fubfpiked, flowers three-leaved, leaves ovate 
.retufe, Item diffufed. ’Native of all Europe, except the 
very cold parts., Japan, Sec. in cultivated grounds, on 
dunghills, banks, among rubbift), Sec. 
i£>. Amaranthus fcandens, or climbing amaranth : fpikes 
interrupted 
