REVIEW ON ACHYRANTHES ASPERA L

Amaranthaceae is s small compact family having 65 genera and 850 sps, extensively distributed in tropical and temperate region of the globe. The family is very well represented in tropical America, Africa and India. In our country Amaranthaceae is represented by 17 genera and more than 50 sps chiefly occurring in warmer regions. Members of this family are mostly herbs or shrubs. Leaves are usually hairy, inflorescence usually hairy, spike head or cymose panicle, flowers bisexual with membranous perianth, bracts and bracteoles. Perianth 5, antisepalous, ovary superior, bicarpellary, syncarpous, monolocular, with a single basal ovule. Fruit is a one seeded nut or utricle, seeds have a mealy endosperm. (Kiritkar and Basu et al., 1975)