2299.000 Amaranthus L.

Description of the genus

Unarmed or spiny, annual, rarely perennial, monoecious herbs. Leaves alternate, long-petiolate, simple and entire or sinuate. Flowers unisexual. Bracts and 2 bracteoles present. Perianth segments (2-)3-5, free or connate at base, membranous. Fruit a capsule, indehiscent, rupturing irregularly or with a circumscissile lid. Seeds usually black and shining.

Worldwide: 60 species, in both tropical and temperate zones

DRC: 8 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Spoladea recurvalis (Spinach moth) Food plant
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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesBotanical divisionsContent
blitum L. subsp. blitum
blitum L. subsp. emarginatus (Salzm. ex Uline & Bray) Carretero, Muñoz Garm. & PedrolDescription, Image
cruentus L.
dubius Mart. ex Thell.Description, Image
graecizans L. subsp. graecizans Description
graecizans L. subsp. silvestris (Vill.) BrenanDescription, Image
hybridus L. subsp. hybridus
spinosus L.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Amaranthus:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Amaranthus
Flora of Burundi: Amaranthus
Flora of Caprivi: Amaranthus
Flora of Malawi: Amaranthus
Flora of Mozambique: Amaranthus
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Amaranthus
Flora of Rwanda: Amaranthus
Flora of Zambia: Amaranthus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Amaranthus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Amaranthus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Amaranthus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Amaranthus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Amaranthus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Amaranthus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Amaranthus
JSTOR Plant Science: Amaranthus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Amaranthus
Plants of the World Online: Amaranthus
Tropicos: Amaranthus
Wikipedia: Amaranthus

Copyright: The DRC flora team, 2024-25

The DRC flora team (2025). Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Genus page: Amaranthus.
https://www.drcongoflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=524, retrieved 1 August 2025

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