Amaranthus deflexus

Linnaeus

Mant. Pl. 2: 295. 1771.

Common names: Large-fruit amaranth Argentina amaranth deflexed amaranth low amaranth
IntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 430. Mentioned on page 414, 428.

Plants short-lived perennial or annual, pubescent in distal parts of plant or becoming glabrescent at maturity. Stems ascending or prostrate, profusely branched basally, radiating from rootstock, mostly 0.2–0.5 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2 as long as to equaling blade; blade rhombic-ovate or ovate to lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.5–1 cm, base tapering or cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex subacute, obtuse, or retuse or shallowly emarginate, mucronulate. Inflorescences terminal, erect, compact, pyramidal panicles and also some axillary clusters, green or silvery green, occasionally tinged with red, leafless at least distally. Bracts of pistillate flowers linear, 0.5–1 mm, 1/2 as long as tepals. Pistillate flowers: tepals 2–3, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, not clawed, equal or subequal, 1.2–2 mm, apex broadly acute; style branches erect; stigmas 3. Staminate flowers clustered at tips of inflorescences; tepals 2–3; stamens 2–3. Utricles marked with 2(–3) green lines that intersect at apex and divide fruit into halves or quarters, slightly to distinctly inflated, ellipsoid, 2–3 mm, distinctly longer than tepals, smooth (in dry plants wrinkled or rugose), indehiscent. Seeds very dark brown to black, 1–1.2 mm diam., shiny, filling only proximal portion of fruit.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Weedy areas, ballast heaps, railroads, other disturbed habitats
Elevation: 0-500 m

Distribution

Introduced; Ala., Calif., Fla., Ga., La., Mass., N.J., N.Y., Oreg., Pa., Tenn., Va., native to South America, locally introduced or naturalized in tropical to warm-temperate regions of the globe.

Discussion

The hybrid between Amaranthus deflexus and A. muricatus was described from Europe as A. ×tarraconensis Sennen & Pau (see J. L. Carretero 1979) and may be expected in North America in the future in places of possible co-occurrence of the parental species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Amaranthus deflexus"
Sergei L. Mosyakin +  and Kenneth R. Robertson +
Linnaeus +
Undefined subg. Albersia +
Large-fruit amaranth +, Argentina amaranth +, deflexed amaranth +  and low amaranth +
Ala. +, Calif. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Mass. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, Tenn. +, Va. +, native to South America +  and locally introduced or naturalized in tropical to warm-temperate regions of the globe. +
0-500 m +
Weedy areas, ballast heaps, railroads, other disturbed habitats +
Flowering summer–fall. +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
Acanthochiton +, Acnida +, Albersia +, Amblogyna +, Euxolus +, Mengea +, Sarratia +  and Scleropus +
Amaranthus deflexus +
Amaranthus subg. Albersia +
species +