Alternative names: Not Applicable

Description:
Herbs or shrubs; leaves alternate or opposite, entire or denticulate; stipules 0.

Flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, usually sessile within 2 scarious bracteoles and a scarious bract or floral leaf; bracts and bracteoles almost always shorter than the perianth; perianth scarious or coloured, of 5 imbricate segments; stamens 2-5, opposite the segments; ovary 1-celled, superior, usually with 1 campylotropous ovule on a filiform erect basal funicle; style simple or 2- or 3-fid.

Fruit membranous, indehiscent or circumsciss, 1-celled and containing 1-many seeds enclosed in the persistent perianth; seeds biconvex, with a crustaceous testa and annular embryo enclosing the albumen.

Distribution:  About 65 genera and 850 species; about 150 in Australia. Several ornamental species are grown, such as Amaranthus caudatas L. (lovelies-bleeding), A. tricolor L. (Josephs coat), Celosia cristata L. (cockscomb) and Gomphrena globosa L. (globe amaranth). J. Black (1948) included Achyranthes aspera L., which is widespread in other parts of Australia, but it has not yet been collected in S.Aust.

Biology: No text

Key to Genera:

1. Leaves opposite; flowers in short spikes or axillary clusters
2. Anthers 2-celled; style single	GUILLEMINEA 5.
2. Anthers 1-celled; style single or 2
3. Flower spikes axillary; style single, capitate	ALTERNANTHERA 2.
3. Flower spikes terminal; styles 2, stigma not capitate	GOMPHRENA 4.
1. Leaves alternate (Hemichroa mesembryanthema leaves opposite but flowers in pairs); flower arrangement various
4. Flowers conspicuous, hairy, in terminal or lateral spikes; stamens shortly united at the base
5. Flowers in terminal and lateral spikes forming a panicle	AERVA 1.
5. Flowers mostly in simple terminal spikes	PTILOTUS 7.
4. Flowers small, glabrous, solitary or in cymes or clusters; stamens free or shortly united
6. Stamens free; flowers in cymes or clusters	AMARANTHUS 3.
6. Stamens shortly united at the base; flowers solitary, axillary	HEMICHROA 6.

Author: Prepared by J.P. Jessop; Ptilotus by G. Benl