Amaranthus standleyanus
Parodi ex Covas
Indehiscent pigweed
(c) Dewald du Plessis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dewald du Plessis
(c) Alex Dreyer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds, Leaves
Leaves are best cooked and used as a spinach. The seeds can also be cooked, though they are very small and fiddly. Despite being nutritious, cooking them whole makes them gelatinous, and because the tiny seeds are difficult to fully crush in the mouth, some will pass through the digestive system without being assimilated.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. In Argentina it grows up to 500 m above sea level.
Africa, Argentina, Britain, Europe, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain,
How to Identify
A frost-tender annual growing to 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) tall. Features monoecious flowers pollinated by wind with self-fertility capability. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils preferring good drainage. Tolerates mildly acidic, neutral, and basic soils. Requires full sun and moist soil conditions, unable to survive 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 directly in situ. For an earlier start, sow in a greenhouse and transplant after the last expected frost. Germination is usually rapid and reliable in warm soil, and a drop in temperature overnight can help promote it. Cuttings from growing plants root easily.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant. The plant is also used as a dynamic accumulator.
Wikipedia
A frost-tender annual growing to 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) tall. Features monoecious flowers pollinated by wind with self-fertility capability. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils preferring good drainage. Tolerates mildly acidic, neutral, and basic soils. Requires full sun and moist soil conditions, unable to survive in shade.
Notes
There are about 60 Amaranthus species.
Names & Synonyms
References (5)
- Darwiniana 5:339. 1941
- Magwede, K., van Wyk, B.-E., & van Wyk, A. E., 2019, An inventory of Vhavenḓa useful plants. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 57–89
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 10
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
