AMARANTHUS HYBRIDUS

Family and Genus:- See- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Green amaranth

Homotypic Synonyms:- Amaranthus retroflexus var. hybridus, Galliaria

hybrida.

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

Hybridus (Gr) Hybrid.

General description:- Short to tall annual.

Stems:-

1) 20-100 cm. erect or ascending, stout, sparsely to densely pubescent above.

often reddish-tinged.

Leaves:-

1) 3-8 cm, rhombic-ovate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, elongate-spicate, often compound, with long branches.

2) Bracteoles, (2-)3-4 mm. ovate, mucronate, about twice 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: dehiscing transversely.

Key features:-

1) Longest bracteoles of the female flowers usually twice as long as the perianth.

2) Longest bracteoles not more than 4 mm.

3) Stamens 5.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Weed of cultivated fields, especially with irrigated crops, gardens,

roadsides, wasteground. 0-600(-1200) m.

Distribution:- Widespread in Greece. Native of North America and northernmost

South America. Common throughout the Mediterranean. Scattered distribution on

Crete. (Introduced).

Flowering time:- May-Oct.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton