Amaranthus muricatus
Amaranthus blitum
African amaranth, muricate amaranth
Guernsey pigweed, livid amaranth, pale amaranth, purple amaranth
ascending or prostrate, much-branched from stout rootstock, 0.1–0.4 m.
ascending to prostrate, sometimes erect, simple or branched, sometimes radiating from base and forming mats, 0.1–0.6 m.
petiole to 1/2 as long as blade;
blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.2–0.5(–1) mm, base tapering, margins entire, plane to undulate, apex obtuse and often emarginate.
petiole usually equaling to 2 times as long as blade;
blade ovate or obovate, 1–6 × 0.5–4 cm, base tapering or cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex distinctly emarginate to almost bilobate, mucronate.
of pistillate flowers linear, 0.7–1.2 mm, 1/2–2/3 as long as tepals.
of pistillate flowers lanceolate, inconspicuous, 0.5 mm, shorter than tepals.
terminal, compact pyramidal panicles and axillary glomerules, erect or reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.
slender terminal spikes or panicles and also axillary clusters, in some forms only axillary clusters are present;
spikes erect or sometimes reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.
intermixed with pistillate or at tips of inflorescences;
tepals 5;
stamens 5.
clustered at tips of spikes;
tepals 3;
stamens 3.
tepals 5, narrowly oblanceolate, not clawed, equal, 1.5–2 mm, apex obtuse or subacute;
style branches erect;
stigmas 3.
tepals 3, elliptic or spatulate, not clawed, equal or subequal, 0.8–1.5 mm, margins entire, apex broadly acute;
style branches erect;
stigmas 3.
black, lenticular, 1–1.2 mm diam., semiglossy.
black or dark reddish brown, subglobose or broadly lenticular, (0.8–)1–1.8 mm diam., smooth, shiny, filling fruit almost completely.
compressed, subglobose, 1.7–2 mm, ± equaling or slightly exceeding tepals, muricate, indehiscent.
compressed, subglobose to obovate, 1.2–2.5(–3) mm, exceeding tepals, smooth or faintly rugose, indehiscent.
Amaranthus muricatus
Amaranthus blitum
The vernacular name “African amaranth” is sometimes used for this species; it is a misnomer; the species is native to South America and naturalized in Africa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The name Amaranthus lividus has been widely used for A. blitum, in addition to other Linnaean names (see F. Fillias et al. 1980; J. P. M. Brenan and C. C. Townsend 1980; R. K. Brummitt 1984). Amaranthus blitum is of tropical origin and not common in temperate regions. It has been cultivated in Europe as a minor leaf-vegetable crop, but now it is declining and its range is becoming progressively smaller. In many temperate countries (in particular in Europe), A. blitum persists mostly as an uncommon and sporadic weed in greenhouses, ornamental gardens, and flower beds.
In Europe, it may be possible to distinguish two or three subspecies within Amaranthus blitum. The occurrence and distribution of infraspecific taxa of the A. blitum complex is insufficiently known in North America and requires additional floristic and taxonomic studies, although it appears that the most common is subsp. polygonoides (Moquin-Tandon) Cattetero. Some literature records of A. blitum from southern regions of North America are misidentifications of A. viridis, and vice versa; because of that the distributions of these two species in the flora area require critical reassessment.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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