Pupalia
(Pupali is said to be the name in the East Indies). Including Desmochaeta. ORD. Amarantaceae. A genus comprising only three species of stove, slightly glabrous or tomentose, trichotomously-branched herbs or sub-shrubs, natives of tropical Asia and Africa. Flowers green, perfect ones solitary, the imperfect ones in fascicles, disposed in interrupted, simple or paniculate spikes; perianth of the perfect flowers five-parted, the segments lanceolate, acuminate, sub-equal; stamens five, the filaments very shortly connate at base. Leaves opposite, petiolate, ovate or orbicular, obtuse or acuminate, entire. P. atropurpurea is probably the only species in cultivation. It is an evergreen sub-shrub, thriving in sandy loam. It may be increased by means of cuttings, inserted in sand, under a bell glass, in heat. P. atropurpurea (dark purple). fl. dark purple, disposed in spikes, 3in. to 7in. long. September. l. 2 1/2in. to 3in. long, fully 1in. broad, slender, long-stalked, ovate, acuminate, obsoletely mucronulate, slightly dotted. Stem striated. Branches purplish, ascendent. h. 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. Tropics, 1759.