AMARANTHUS QUITENSIS

Family:- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Mucronate amaranth

Synonyms:- Amaranthus hybridus subsp. quitensis

Meaning:- Amaranthus (Gr) Unfading, reference to the everlasting flowers.

Quitensis (L) From Quito, Ecuador.

General description:- Erect annual.

Stems:-

a) 30-100 cm.

b) sparsely pubescent to almost hairless (glabrous).

Leaves:-

a) 3-8 cm.

b) long-petiolate.

c) rhombic-ovate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence:

a) green with a pale brownish glistening sheen of the male flowers.

b) terminal spike often not distinctly longer than the usually numerous, patent-

spreading, dense-flowered lateral branches.

2) Bracteoles:

a) thin c. 3-4 mm.

b) 1.2-1.5 times as long as the flowers.

c) narrowly lanceolate to nearly needle-shaped (acicular).

3) Perianth segments

a) 5, c. 2 mm.

b) lanceolate-oblong, the inner ones distinctly obtuse to narrowly spathulate, with

a green midrib continued into a sharp terminal point (aptical mucro).

Fruit:-

1) Capsule:

a) somewhat shorter than or equalling the perianth.

b) weakly wrinkled.

c) splitting transversely.

2) Seed:

a) c. 1 mm.

b) black.

Key features:-

1) Inflorescence not pendent, pale brownish-green, usually with many lateral, patent

branches.

2) Perianth segments not overlapping.

Habitat:- Fields, vegetable gardens and ruderal habitats, mainly in coastal areas. 0-

250 m.

Distribution:- Scattered and fairly rare in Greece. Native of South America.

becoming naturalised in the Mediterranean. On Crete currently known from only two

locations in the east.

Flowering time:- May-Nov

Photos by:- An Other