Amaranthus bidentata
Blume
Lanceleaf ragweed
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds, Leaves
Leaves are edible cooked and used as a spinach. Seeds are also edible when cooked — very small and fiddly but highly nutritious. Cooking the seeds whole makes them gelatinous, and because they are difficult to crush fully in the mouth, some will pass through the digestive system without being fully assimilated.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It grows naturally in roadsides and waste places in China.
Asia, China,
How to Identify
Amaranthus bidentata is a frost-tender annual reaching 0.9 m (3 ft) tall. It is monoecious with wind-pollinated flowers and self-fertile. The plant grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage, tolerating mildly acid to basic pH. It requires full sun and moist conditions, and cannot establish in shade.
How to Grow
We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, though it should succeed as a spring-sown annual. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions.
Propagation: Sow seed in late spring in situ. Germination is usually rapid and good in warm soil; a drop in overnight temperature aids germination. For an earlier start, sow in pots in a greenhouse, prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, and plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are antiphlogistic, diuretic, emmenagogue, and tonic.
Other Uses
Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
Wikipedia
Amaranthus bidentata is a frost-tender annual reaching 0.9 m (3 ft) tall. It is monoecious with wind-pollinated flowers and self-fertile. The plant grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage, tolerating mildly acid to basic pH. It requires full sun and moist conditions, and cannot establish in shade.
Notes
There are about 60 Amaranthus species.
References (1)
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
