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(Last Modified On 1/25/2013)
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(Last Modified On 1/25/2013)
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Species
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AMARANTHUS SPINOSUS L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. P1. 991. 1753.
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Synonym
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Amaranthus diacantbus Raf. Fl. Ludov. 31. 1817. Amaranthus caracasanus H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 2:195. 1817. Amaranthus spinosus a rubricaulis Hassk. Flora 25: litt. 20. 1842. Amaranthus spinosus P viridicaulis Hassk. loc. cit. litt. 20. 1842. Amarantbus spinosus r pygmaeus Hassk. Cat. PI. Bogor. 83. 1844. Amaranthus spinosus , purpurascens Moq. in DC. Prodr. 132:260. 1849. Amaranthus spinosus f. inermis Schum. & Laut. Fl. Deuts. Schutzg. Sfidsee 305. 1900. Amaranth-us spinosus I circumscissus Thellung in Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mittel-Eur. FI. 5: 269. 1914. Amaranthus spinosus II basiscissus Thellung, loc. cit. 269. 1914. Amaranthus spinosus III indehiscens Thellung, loc. cit. 269. 1914. Galliaria spinosa Nieuwl. in Am. Midl. Nat. 3:278. 1914.
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Description
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Rather coarse, mostly glabrous armed annuals to 2 m. high, usually with erect branches. Leaves glabrous or pubescent below, narrowly rhombic-ovate, apically rounded to acute, basally acute to cuneate, 1-12 cm. long, 0.5-5 cm. broad; petioles 0.5-8 cm. long, with 2 thorns in their axils. Inflorescences of terminal and axillary thyrses racemosely disposed, the lower axillary thyrses globose and up to 15 mm. broad. Flowers polygamo-monoecious or monoecious, the bracts and bracteoles rather variable, lanceolate to acicular, 1-5 mm. long, often resembling the thorns, some conspicuously longer than the flowers; sepals 5, lanceolate to oblong, 1-2.5 mm. long, the midribs dark-green, the margins scariose; stamens discrete, 1-2 mm. long; ovary ovoid; styles 3, conical; stigmata 3, fimbrillate. Fruit a slightly rugose compressed ovoid utricle, irregularly to regularly circum- scissile, 1.5-2.5 mm. long; seeds cochleate-orbiculate, reddish brown to black, minutely reticulate, 0.7-1.0 mm. broad.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Monkey Hill and vicinity, Cowell ig. CHIRIQUI: vicinity of Boquete, 1200-1500 m., Woodson d Schery 723; vicinity of Puerto Armuelles, 0-75 m., Woodson d- Schery 833. COL6N: Culebra, Cowell 214. HERRERA: vicinity of Ocu, 100 m., Allen 4086.
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Distribution
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Presumably a native of America, this anthropochorous species now has a circumpolar distribution in temperate and tropical countries.
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Note
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In Panama it is probably called bledo and calali. Other Mexican and Central American names are xtez, kix-xtez, huisquelite, bledo macho, ixtez, tsetz, labtzetz and nigua. In spite of the rather formidable thorns this species is also utilized as a potherb.
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Common
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xtez kix-xtez
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Common
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huisquelite bledo macho
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Common
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ixtez tsetz
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Common
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labtzetz nigua
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Habit
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herb
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Tag
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Project Name
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Tag
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