SPECIES DESCRIPTION
AMARANTHUS CRUENTUS
Homotypic Synonyms:- AMARANTHACEAE
Common Names:- Mexican grain amaranth.
Homotypic Synonyms:- Amaranthus hybridus subsp. cruentus, Amaranthus
paniculatus var. cruentus.
Meaning:- Amaranthus (Gr) Unfading, reference to the everlasting flowers.
Cruentus (L) Bloody, blood-red, blood-coloured.
General description:- Erect annual, usually reddish or purplish throughout.
Stems:-
1) 30-150 cm. erect or ascending, stout, branched. sparsely to densely pubescent
above, often reddish-tinged.
Leaves:-
1) 3-15 x 2-8 cm. Long petiolate, broadly lanceolate to rhombic-ovate.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, elongate-spicate, often compound, with long branches.
a) terminal inflorescence usually dense and with short branches at the base.
2) Bracteoles, 2-4 mm. with a short mucro 1-1½ times as long as the perianth.
3) Perianth-segments, 5, 1·5-2(-2·4) mm. narrowly ovate, usually acute, about as
long as the fruit.
4) Stamens 5.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 2-2.5 mm, usually longer than the perianth.dehiscing transversely.
2) Seed, c. 1 mm. black or pale.
Key features:-
1) Perianth-segments lanceolate or narrowly ovate or elliptical, acute.
2) Longest bracteoles of the female flowers 1-1½ times as long as the perianth.
Habitat:- Fallow fields, gardens and ruderal habitats. Perhaps not fully naturalised.
0-700(-1100) m.
Distribution:- Scattered throughout Greece except the NE. Originated in C
America by domestication of A. hybridus. Limited distribution on Crete.
(Introduced).
Flowering time:- May-Oct.
Photos by:- An Other
