AMARANTHUS HYBRIDUS

Family:- AMARANTHACEAE

Common Names:- Green amaranth

Synonyms:- Amaranthus retroflexus var. hybridus, Galliaria hybrida.

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

Hybridus (Gr) Hybrid.

General description:- Short to tall annual.

Stems:-

a) 20-100 cm.

b) erect or ascending, stout.

c) sparsely to densely hairy (pubescent) above.

d) often reddish-tinged.

Leaves:- 3-8 cm, rhombic-ovate.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence:

a) elongate-spicate, often compound, with long branches.

2) Bracteoles:

a) (2-)3-4 mm.

b) ovate, with a very long sharp point (mucro), about twice as long as the

perianth. 3) Perianth-segments:

a) 5, 1·5-2(-2·4) mm.

b) narrowly ovate, usually acute, about as long as the fruit.

4) Stamens 5.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule:

a) splitting open to release the seeds (dehiscing) transversely.

Key features:-

1) Longest bracteoles of the female flowers usually twice as long as the perianth.

2) Longest bracteoles not more than 4 mm.

3) Stamens 5.

Habitat:- Weed of cultivated fields, especially with irrigated crops, gardens,

roadsides, wasteground. 0-600(-1200) m.

Distribution:- Widespread in Greece. Native of North America and northernmost

South America. Common throughout the Mediterranean. Scattered distribution on

Crete. (Introduced).

Flowering time:- May-Oct.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton