Amaranthus muricatus
Amaranthus caudatus
African amaranth, muricate amaranth
foxtail amaranth, love-lies-bleeding, purple amaranth, quilete
ascending or prostrate, much-branched from stout rootstock, 0.1–0.4 m.
erect, usually green, moderately branched, rarely nearly simple, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) 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 shorter than to equaling blade;
blade rhombic-ovate, ovate, or elliptic to broadly lanceolate, 5–15(–20) × 2–10 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to subobtuse, with mucro.
of pistillate flowers linear, 0.7–1.2 mm, 1/2–2/3 as long as tepals.
narrowly lanceolate to linear, equaling or subequal to tepals, not exceeding style branches, apex acuminate with excurrent midrib.
terminal, compact pyramidal panicles and axillary glomerules, erect or reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.
terminal, drooping or nodding, usually red, purple, or white, less commonly green, silvery green, or yellow, usually much-branched at base, leafless at least distally, very large and robust.
intermixed with pistillate or at tips of inflorescences;
tepals 5;
stamens 5.
mostly at tips of inflorescences;
tepals (4–)5;
stamens 5.
tepals 5, narrowly oblanceolate, not clawed, equal, 1.5–2 mm, apex obtuse or subacute;
style branches erect;
stigmas 3.
tepals 5, spatulate-obovate or lanceolate-obovate, not clawed, subequal, (1–)1.5–2(–2.5) mm, membranaceous, apex obtuse, slightly emarginate, or subacute with mucro;
style branches spreading or reflexed;
stigmas 3.
black, lenticular, 1–1.2 mm diam., semiglossy.
dark brown to brownish black or reddish brown, yellowish white, or ivory, lenticular to subglobose, 1–1.2(–1.5) mm diam., smooth or indistinctly punctate.
compressed, subglobose, 1.7–2 mm, ± equaling or slightly exceeding tepals, muricate, indehiscent.
broadly ovoid to subglobose, 1.5–2(–2.5) mm, ± equaling tepals, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.
Amaranthus muricatus
Amaranthus caudatus
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.)
While reported as naturalized in some states, most specimens identified as Amaranthus caudatus are referable to A. hybridus or other native species. Amaranthus caudatus is one of the most popular domesticated amaranths and is cultivated primarily as an ornamental, and, to a lesser degree, as a pseudocereal. Plants of A. caudatus may occur locally, usually close to places of cultivation and mostly in the southern regions of the flora. No reliable records of their successful naturalization are available. It is impossible at present to trace records of such ephemeral populations and individual escapes; maps and detailed distribution statements for cultivated species of amaranths are not presented here.
The origin of Amaranthus caudatus remains uncertain. It is generally believed that it originated in South America or Central America from some unspecified wild race of the A. hybridus aggregate, probably South American A. quitensis Kunth. At least some cultivated forms and strains of A. caudatus probably developed with some degree of hybridization with other cultivated species. Numerous infraspecific entities that are mostly of horticultural importance have been described within A. caudatus. Forms with erect and robust club-shaped inflorescences have been recognized as A. mantegazzianus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
CA, 
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WildflowerSearch
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