Amaranthus watsonii |
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Watson's amaranth |
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Habit | Plants pubescent and glandular-pubescent, especially on bracts. |
Stems | ascending to erect, usually much-branched, 0.1–1 m; branches usually ascending. |
Leaves | petiole shorter than or equaling blade; blade ovate, obovate to elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, 1–8 × 0.5–4 cm, base broadly cuneate to nearly rounded, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex obtuse to emarginate, usually with terminal mucro. |
Bracts | of pistillate flowers with long-excurrent midrib, 3–4 mm, longer than tepals, apex long-acuminate or mucronulate; of staminate flowers 2.5–4 mm, usually equaling outer tepals, apex long-acuminate or mucronulate. |
Inflorescences | mostly terminal, erect spikes to panicles, usually thick and uninterrupted, with few axillary clusters in basal part of plant. |
Staminate flowers | tepals 5, equal or subequal, 1.5–2(–3) mm, apex acute or almost obtuse; inner tepal apex acuminate or mucronulate; stamens 3–5. |
Pistillate flowers | tepals with dark midribs not excurrent, spatulate to fan-shaped, 1.7–2.2 mm, apex obtuse, with terminal mucro; style branches spreading; stigmas 2(–3). |
Seeds | dark reddish brown to nearly black, (0.8–)1–1.2 mm diam., shiny. |
Utricles | light brown to brown, obovoid to subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, shorter than tepals, walls thin, smooth or indistinctly rugose. |
Amaranthus watsonii |
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Phenology | Flowering late winter–spring, summer–fall. |
Habitat | Coastal dunes, beaches, sandy inland areas, weakly saline flats |
Elevation | 0-100 m (0-300 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora); Europe (reported as rare, non-naturalized casual alien)
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Source | FNA vol. 4, p. 418. |
Parent taxa | Amaranthaceae > Amaranthus > subg. Acnida > sect. Saueranthus |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Standley: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 41: 505. (1914) |
Web links |