Quinua

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• white-quinoa

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Chenopodium album var. moquinii
• Chenopodium album var. quinoa
• Chenopodium album convar. leucocarpum
• Chenopodium quinoa var. laciniatum
• Chenopodium quinoa var. lutescens
• Chenopodium album subsp. quinoa
• Chenopodium album var. quinoa
• Chenopodium album subvar. leucospermum
• Chenopodium album f. subspontaneum
• Chenopodium quinoa var. melanospermum
• Chenopodium quinoa subsp. milleanum
• Chenopodium quinoa var. orbicans
• Chenopodium quinoa f. purpureum
• Chenopodium quinoa var. rubescens
• Chenopodium quinoa var. viridescens
• Chenopodium album var. laciniatum
• Chenopodium purpurascens var. lanceolatum
• Chenopodium purpurascens var. punctulatum
• Chenopodium punctulatum
• Chenopodium purpurascens
• Chenopodium hircinum f. viridescens
• Chenopodium leucospermum
• Chenopodium ccoyto
• Chenopodium ccuchi-huila
• Chenopodium hircinum f. laciniatum
• Chenopodium hircinum var. andinum
• Chenopodium hircinum subsp. milleanum
• Chenopodium hircinum var. quinoa
• Chenopodium hircinum var. rhombicum
• Chenopodium hircinum f. rubescens
• Chenopodium album var. purpurascens

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Caryophyllales, it is classified under the family Amaranthaceae and the genus Chenopodium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide-ranging geographical distribution that spans multiple continents. In Northern Europe, its presence can be found within Great Britain. Moving through Middle Europe, it inhabits regions such as Germany as well as the area encompassing Czechia and Slovakia. The plant's reach extends into Eastern Europe, specifically within the Baltic States. Finally, its distribution reaches the Western South American nation of Bolivia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Chenopodium quinoa is characterized by an extraordinary adaptability to diverse environmental conditions, spanning a vast altitudinal gradient from sea level (0 m AMSL) to high-altitude mountainous regions reaching up to 3800 m AMSL. This species exhibits a remarkable ability to colonize various landscapes, though it is notably identified with anthropized habitats (Área Antrópica), thriving in environments modified by human activity such as agricultural fields and disturbed soils. Its wide elevational range allows it to endure significant fluctuations in temperature, solar radiation, and atmospheric pressure, facilitating its survival across both lowland and high-Andean ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

3800 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Chenopodium quinoa is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental progression—from germination and vegetative growth to flowering and seed production—within a single growing season. As a therophyte, its survival strategy relies on the production of numerous highly resilient seeds that remain dormant in the soil during unfavorable conditions, allowing the species to persist across generations despite the death of the individual parent plant. This life form ensures that the plant avoids the stresses of harsh seasons by existing primarily in a seed state, rapidly emerging to exploit optimal environmental windows for rapid maturation and prolific reproductive output.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Chenopodium quinoa is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. As a self-supporting plant, it does not function as a climber or a vine, nor does it exhibit parasitic behavior, remaining an independent organism. The plant is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, it displays significant variability in height, typically ranging from a minimum of 0.4 m to a maximum of 1 m, with a mean plant height of approximately 1.5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

1.5 m

Plant height min:

0.4 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Chenopodium quinoa is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency under varying environmental conditions. Unlike plants that utilize C4 or CAM mechanisms to minimize photorespiration, Chenopodium quinoa relies on the standard Calvin cycle, making it particularly sensitive to temperature and water availability during the photosynthetic process. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form; instead, it relies entirely on the uptake of inorganic nitrogen, such as nitrates and ammonium, from the soil to support its protein synthesis and overall growth.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Chenopodium quinoa is characterized by a highly adaptable flowering period that can occur throughout the entire year, spanning from January through December, though the specific timing remains variable depending on environmental conditions. The plant utilizes an abiotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on the wind for the transfer of pollen. Its reproductive success is further supported by the presence of self-fertilization, allowing for efficient seed production. The resulting fruits are classified as dry, containing seeds with a very specific physical profile; the seed volume is remarkably consistent, with a mean, minimum, and maximum value all recorded at 1.7 mm³. In terms of mass, the seeds are minute, exhibiting a minimum mass of 0.00105 g, a mean mass of 0.001883333 g, and a maximum mass of 0.00228 g.

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit dryness :

dry

Pollination syndrome :

wind

Pollination syndrome :

abiotic

Seed mass max:

0.00228 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001883333 g

Seed mass min:

0.00105 g

Seed volume max:

1.7 mm³

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Chenopodium quinoa has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed.

Seed

1. Food science & nutrition
2. Cardiovascular & hematological agents in medicinal chemistry

Chemicals

Chenopodium quinoa has 22 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, OLEANOLIC ACID, Saponins, Tannins, ARA.

Flavonoids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Cardiovascular & hematological agents in medicinal chemistry

OLEANOLIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant biotechnology journal

Saponins

1. Voprosy pitaniia
2. Archivos latinoamericanos de nutricion

Tannins

1. Cardiovascular & hematological agents in medicinal chemistry
2. Voprosy pitaniia

ARA

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Fatty acids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

GAL

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

MAN

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Mauritianin

1. Dr. Duke

Phenolic acid

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Activities

Chenopodium quinoa has 60 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective, Abortifacient, AntiHIV, AntiPGE2.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food science & nutrition

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food science & nutrition

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

AntiPGE2

1. Dr. Duke

AntiTGF-beta

1. Dr. Duke

Antiallergic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiarrhythmic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiatherosclerotic

1. Dr. Duke

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Chenopodium quinoa has 15 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Tomato spotted wilt virus, abiotic stress, body weight, carbohydrate metabolism, chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tomato spotted wilt virus

1. Plant disease

Abiotic stress

1. Functional & integrative genomics

Body weight

1. Voprosy pitaniia

Carbohydrate metabolism

1. Voprosy pitaniia

Chronic fatigue syndrome

1. Voprosy pitaniia

Colitis

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Diabetes mellitus

1. Cardiovascular & hematological agents in medicinal chemistry

Hepatic steatosis

1. Food & function

Hyperlipidemia

1. Food & function

Lipid metabolism

1. Voprosy pitaniia

Preparations

Chenopodium quinoa has 2 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include crude plant extracts, extract.

Crude plant extracts

1. Virology

Extract

1. Food science & nutrition