Amaranthus muricatus
Amaranthus graecizans
African amaranth, muricate amaranth
Mediterranean amaranth, spreading pigweed, tumbleweed
ascending or prostrate, much-branched from stout rootstock, 0.1–0.4 m.
erect to ascending or decumbent, branched at or distal to base, 0.1–0.9 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 variable in length;
blade lanceolate to nearly linear or rhombic-ovate to elliptic-ovate, (1.5–)2–4(–5) × 1–3 cm, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins entire, plane, rarely indistinctly undulate, apex subacute to obtuse or emarginate, mucronulate.
of pistillate flowers linear, 0.7–1.2 mm, 1/2–2/3 as long as tepals.
lanceolate, subspinescent, 1.5–2 mm, shorter or slightly longer than tepals.
terminal, compact pyramidal panicles and axillary glomerules, erect or reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.
axillary glomerules, green.
intermixed with pistillate or at tips of inflorescences;
tepals 5;
stamens 5.
intermixed with pistillate;
tepals 3, equal or subequal;
stamens 3.
tepals 5, narrowly oblanceolate, not clawed, equal, 1.5–2 mm, apex obtuse or subacute;
style branches erect;
stigmas 3.
tepals 3, erect, elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, equal or subequal, 1.5–2 mm, apex short-acuminate;
style branches slightly spreading;
stigmas (2–)3.
black, lenticular, 1–1.2 mm diam., semiglossy.
black, lenticular, 1–1.3(–1.6) mm diam., smooth or indistinctly punctate.
compressed, subglobose, 1.7–2 mm, ± equaling or slightly exceeding tepals, muricate, indehiscent.
subglobose to broadly elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, slightly rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile, rarely irregularly dehiscent.
Amaranthus muricatus
Amaranthus graecizans
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.)
In North America the name Amaranthus graecizans has been constantly misapplied to the common North American taxa A. albus and A. blitoides. Consequently, A. graecizans has been excluded from lists of North American plants. Recently, herbarium specimens (casual aliens collected in 1879 on ballast in Camden, New Jersey) of A. graecizans subsp. sylvestris were discovered (M. Costea et al. 2001b). Probably, the species disappeared in North America long ago, but, considering the long history of misidentification and confusion, there is also some chance that it may occur locally as an introduced species.
Three subspecies are usually recognized within Amaranthus graecizans in the Old World: subsp. graecizans, subsp. sylvestris (Villars) Brenan, and subsp. thellungianus (Nevski) Gusev. Only subsp. sylvestris, characterized by rhombic-ovate to elliptic-ovate leaves (as compared to lanceolate to almost linear leaves in subsp. graecizans) and comparatively large seeds has so far been reported from North America.
Despite its superficial similarity to Amaranthus albus and A. blitoides, A. graecizans seems to be more closely related to other Old World taxa with trimerous flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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