amaranth

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• blood amaranth
• caterpillar amaranth
• purple amaranth
• red amaranth
• African-spinach
• Indian-spinach
• Sudan-spinach
• bush greens
• panicled amaranth
• red shank
• wild amaranth
• Grain Amaranth
• Love-lies-bleeding
• Mexican Grain Amaranth
• amaranth
• pigweed

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Amaranthus dubius var. leptostachys
• Amaranthus hybridus var. paniculatus
• Amaranthus patulus subsp. incurvatus
• Amaranthus paniculatus var. cruentus
• Amaranthus hybridus subsp. cruentus
• Amaranthus hybridus var. sanguineus
• Amaranthus sanguineus var. elatior
• Amaranthus caudatus var. pseudopaniculatus
• Amaranthus caudatus f. oblongotepalus
• Amaranthus hypochondriacus var. subdubius
• Amaranthus flavus var. benhardii
• Amaranthus hybridus subsp. paniculatus
• Amaranthus edouardi
• Amaranthus flavus var. ovalifolius
• Amaranthus esculentus
• Amaranthus farinaceus
• Amaranthus flavus
• Amaranthus brasiliensis
• Amaranthus incarnatus
• Amaranthus incurvatus
• Amaranthus hybridus subsp. incurvatus
• Amaranthus guadeloupensis
• Amaranthus guadelupensis
• Amaranthus montevidensis
• Amaranthus paniculatus var. speciosus
• Amaranthus paniculatus var. strictus
• Amaranthus paniculatus
• Amaranthus paniculatus var. monstrosus
• Amaranthus purgans
• Amaranthus sanguinolentus
• Amaranthus rubescens
• Amaranthus sanguineus
• Amaranthus speciosus
• Amaranthus strictus
• Amaranthus tristis var. leptostachys
• Amaranthus anacardana
• Amaranthus arardhanus
• Amaranthus cruentus var. albus
• Amaranthus paniculatus var. flavescens

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized into the order Caryophyllales and the family Amaranthaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by its classification within the genus Amaranthus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread presence across several key regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its habitat includes the landscapes of both Great Britain and Sweden. Moving toward Middle Europe, the species can be found growing within the borders of Belgium. Its distribution further extends through the central territories of Germany. Finally, the plant is also documented within the geographical reaches of Czechia-Slovakia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Amaranthus cruentus is characterized by a broad altitudinal distribution, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to elevations of 3000 m AMSL. This species demonstrates significant ecological plasticity, colonizing diverse environments including anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica), open grasslands (Campo Limpo), and rocky fields (Campo Rupestre). Its ability to thrive in both disturbed human-impacted landscapes and specialized natural formations like rupestrian fields highlights its adaptability to varying soil types and light availability across its expansive elevational gradient.

Elevational range max:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Campo Limpo, Campo Rupestre

Life history

The life history of Amaranthus cruentus is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental sequence—from germination and vegetative growth to flowering and seed production—within a single growing season. Functioning as a therophyte, it survives the unfavorable periods of its environment primarily through the production of hardy seeds, which remain dormant until conditions become suitable for the next generation. This life strategy allows the species to rapidly exploit available resources and complete its reproductive cycle before environmental stressors intervene.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Amaranthus cruentus is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It is a terrestrial, independent plant that does not function as an epiphyte or a parasite. The plant exhibits an erect shoot orientation and is self-supporting rather than acting as a climber, liana, or vine. In terms of stature, it displays significant variability in height, ranging from a minimum of 0.2 m to a maximum of 2 m, with a mean plant height of approximately 2 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

2 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Amaranthus cruentus is characterized by a highly efficient C4 photosynthetic pathway, which allows the plant to optimize carbon fixation and maintain productivity even under high light intensities and elevated temperatures. Morphologically, the foliage exhibits a distinct narrow-elliptic leaf form, with leaf dimensions showing significant variability; individual leaves typically range in length from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 30 cm, while the width fluctuates between a minimum of 0.3 cm and a maximum of 10 cm, with a mean width of 1.5 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the assimilation of available nitrogen from the surrounding soil to support its metabolic processes and structural development.

Leaf form :

narrow-elliptic

Leaf length max:

30 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

10 cm

Leaf width mean:

0.3 cm

Leaf width min:

1.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C4

Reproduction

The reproduction of Amaranthus cruentus is characterized by a specific flowering period that typically commences in July and concludes in August. During this stage, the plant produces small, green flowers, which range in length from a minimum of 0.15 cm to a maximum of 0.3 cm. The pollination process is primarily abiotic, specifically utilizing wind as the main pollination syndrome to facilitate genetic transfer. The plant is capable of self-fertilization, ensuring reproductive success. Following fertilization, the development of the fruit occurs, with fruit lengths ranging between 0.2 cm and 0.25 cm. The fruit is dehiscence-type, meaning it opens at maturity to release its seeds. The resulting seeds are quite small, featuring a mean length of approximately 1 mm (with individual seed lengths varying between 1.2 mm and 1.6 mm) and a mean mass of approximately 0.000486667 g, reaching a maximum mass of 0.00061 g and a minimum of 0.0004 g.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Flower colour :

green

Flower length max:

0.3 cm

Flower length min:

0.15 cm

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length max:

0.25 cm

Fruit length min:

0.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

wind

Pollination syndrome :

abiotic

Seed length max:

1.6 mm

Seed length mean:

1 mm

Seed length min:

1.2 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00061 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000486667 g

Seed mass min:

4e-04 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Amaranthus cruentus has 3 reported plant parts identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, seed, root.

Leaf

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology

Seed

1. Recent advances in food, nutrition & agriculture
2. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology

Root

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemicals

Amaranthus cruentus has 26 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include RUTIN, 2-PHENYLETHENAMINE, AMO, Amaranthussaponin I, L-tryptophan.

RUTIN

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

2-PHENYLETHENAMINE

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

AMO

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Amaranthussaponin I

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

L-tryptophan

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Nickel (Ni)

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Phytic acid

1. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology

Phytosterols

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Trigonelline

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Activities

Amaranthus cruentus has 2 reported activities identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Cytoprotective.

Antioxidant

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Cytoprotective

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Medicinal Uses

Amaranthus cruentus has 3 reported medicinal uses identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, diabetes mellitus, obesity.

Most Reported Uses