*Dear friends*
*The families Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae have traditionally been
treated as distinct families, but have been merged under a single family
Amaranthaceae in recent editions of APG classifiation, our reason for
considering in single episode. I am providing information concerning both
separately.*
*
*
*Chenopodiaceae *Ventenat *Goosefoot family*
97 genera, 1,305 species
Widely distributed in temperate and tropical climates but common in arid
and semiarid saline habitats, with around 97 genera and 1300 speces
*Major genera: **Atriplex *(300 species), *Salsola, *(120),
*Chemnopodium *(105),
*Suaeda *(100) and *Salicornia *(35).
*Descriptiomn*: Herbs or small shrubs, rarely small trees (*Haloxylon*),
usually in saline habitats, sometimes succulent (*Salicornia*), often
covered with whitish bloom, nodes unilacunar, vascular bundles in
concentric rings, included phloem usually present, sieve-tube plastids
PIII-C type, containing betalains instead of anthocyanins, cuticle waxes
with platelets. Leaves minute to large, alternate, rarely opposite (*
Salicornia*, *Nitrophila*), petiolate to sessile, simple, entire or
variously lobed, sometimes fleshy or reduced to scales, stipules
absent. *Inflorescence
*cymose, spikes or panicles, sometimes catkins. *Flowers *small, greenish,
bisexual, rarely unisexual and plants dioecious (*Grayia*) or monoecious,
actinomorphic, hypogynous. *Perianth *(represented by sepals petals absent)
with 2-5 united tepals, rarely free (*Salsola*), herbaceous, usually
persistent and accrescent in fruit, and appendaged with tubercles, spines
or wings, sometimes absent. *Androecium *with 5 stamens, rarely 3, opposite
the perianth lobes, filaments free, anthers inflexed in bud, bithecous,
dehiscence longitudinal, pollen grains multiporate, spinulose. *Gynoecium *with
2 carpels, united, rarely carpels upto 5, ovary superior, unilocular, ovule
1, placentation basal, styles 2
(rarely upto 5). *Fruit *a nut or utricle (when enclosed in membranous
perianth); seed lens shaped with curved or spiral embryo,
endosperm absent, perisperm present.
*Economic importance: *The family includes a few food plants such as
beet (*Beta
vulgaris*: used as leafy vegetable {often confused with spinach}; root
vegetable mainly for salad and a source of sugar), spinach (*Spinacea
oleracea*) and lambs quarters (*Chenopodium album; *bathoo in Hindi).
*Chenopodium
ambrosioides *is source of wormseed used as a vermifuge. Seeds and leaves
of *C. quinoa *are eaten by Peruvians and Andes
*Amaranthaceae *M. Adanson *Amaranth family*
72 genera, 1,020 species
Cosmopolitan, mainly tropical, centred in Africa and America with about 72
genera and 1020 species
*Salient features: *Herbs or small shrubs, stipules absent, flowers small
often greenish, subtended by scarious or papery bracts,
perianth papery, stamens opposite perianth lobes, slightly connate at base,
staminodes present, carpels 2-3, ovary superior, fruit a
capsule or utricle or nutlet, enclosed in persistent perianth, embryo
curved.
*Major genera: **Gomphrena *(120 species), *Alternanthera *(100),
*Iresine *(80),
*Amaranthus *(60) and *Celosia *(55).
*Description*: Herbs or small shrubs, very rarely climbing, often with
swollen nodes, nodes unilacunar, vascular bundles in concentric rings,
included phloem usually present, sieve-tube plastids PIII-A type,
containing betalains instead of anthocyanins.
*Leaves *alternate or opposite, herbaceous, sometimes aggregated at base (*
Ptilotus*), petiolate to sessile, simple, entire, stipules absent.
*Inflorescence
*cymose, spikes or panicles, with conspicuous persistent bracts and
bracteoles. *Flowers *small, greenish, bisexual (rarely unisexual),
actinomorphic, hypogynous, cyclic. *Perianth *(represented by sepals petals
absent) with 3-5 free or united tepals, usually persistent, sometimes
accrescent (*Ptilotus*) in fruit, usually dry and scarious. *Androecium *with
5 stamens,
rarely 3 or even 6-10, opposite the tepals, filaments slightly connate at
base, often adnate to tepals, anthers inflexed in bud,
bithecous (*Amaranthus*) or monothecous (*Gomphrena*), dehiscence
longitudinal, pollen grains multiporate, spinulose, staminodes
often present, usually 1-3. *Gynoecium *with 2-3 united carpels, ovary
superior, unilocular, ovule usually 1, placentation basal,
rarely many (*Celosia*), styles 1-3. *Fruit *a circumscissile capsule, or
nut or utricle (when enclosed in membranous perianth);
seed lens shaped with curved or spiral embryo, endosperm absent, perisperm
present.
*Economic importance: *The family includes several ornamentals such as *Celosia
*(Cockscomb), *Amaranthus *(amaranth),
*Gomphrena *(globe amaranth) and *Iresine *(bloodleaf). Species of
*Alternanthera
*and *Tilanthera *are grown as edge plants and have
ornamental leaves. Seeds and leaves of several species of *Amaranthus *are
edible, as are also the leaves of *Alternanthera sessilis*.
163 genera are recognized by The Plant List which treats them together
under one family:
http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Amaranthaceae/
--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
--
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