AMARANTHUS QUITENSIS

Family and Genus:- See- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Mucronate amaranth

Homotypic Synonyms:- Amaranthus hybridus subsp. quitensis

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

Quitensis (L) From Quito, Ecuador.

General description:- Erect annual.

Stems:-

1) 30-100 cm. sparsely pubescent to almost glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) 3-8 cm. long-petiolate, rhombic-ovate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, 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, thin c. 3-4 mm. 1.2-1.5 times as long as the flowers, narrowly

lanceolate to nearly acicular

3) Perianth segments, 5, c. 2 mm. lanceolate-oblong, inner ones distinctly obtuse

to narrowly spathulate, with a green midrib continued into an aptical mucro.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, somewhat shorter than or equalling the perianth, weakly wrinkled.

splitting transversely.

2) Seed, c. 1 mm. black.

Key features:-

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

branches.

2) Perianth segments not overlapping.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

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