SPECIES DESCRIPTION
AMARANTHUS DEFLEXUS

Family and Genus:- See- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Large-fruited amaranth

Homotypic Synonyms:- Albersia deflexa, Euxolus deflexus, Glomeraria
deflexa.

Meaning:- Amaranthus (Gr) Unfading, reference to the everlasting flowers.
                  Deflexus (L) Bent sharpely backwards, deflexed.

General description:- Short-lived decumbent perennial.

Stems:-
1) Up to 40 cm. usually slender, much-branched, densely puberulent in the upper
    part.

Leaves:-
1) 3-5 cm. rhombic-ovate, obtuse, margin finely undulate.

Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, usually dense, terminal, spicate, becoming interrupted and leafy
    towards the base.
2) Bracteoles, 1/3-1/2 as long as the perianth, ovate, wide at the base, mucronate.
3) Perianth-segments, 2 or 3, 1·2-1·5 mm. linear to oblong-spathulate.

Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 2·5-3 mm, oblong-ovate, inflated-membranous, smooth, with 3 dull 
    green, longitudinal veins, not dehiscing transversely.
2) Seeds, much smaller than the fruit.

Key features:-
1) Fruit indehiscent or dehiscing irregularly inflated.
2) Leaves obuse.
3) Stems puberulent above.
4) Bracteoles much shorter than the perianth segments.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Roadsides, wasteground, trampled areas, coastal habitats. 0600(-1000)
m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. Native to temperate South America, now almost
a cosmopolitan weed, naturalised in the Mediterranean area since the early 19th
century. Limited distribution on Crete mainly around coastal areas.

Flowering time:- May-Oct.

Photos by:- An Other