Compilation
Amaranthus tricolor

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Name

Identification
Amaranthus tricolor L. [family AMARANTHACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by A. Cavaco,
Related name
  • Amaranthus melancholicus
  • Amaranthus tricolor
  • Amaranthus sp.
Common name
  • red spinach (Deighton)., Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • Joseph’s coat, Flora of North America Vol. 4
  • aleifu buter = white man’s aleifu (Vermeer) (NIGERIA, TIV), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • summer poinsettia, Flora of North America Vol. 4

Flora

Entry for Amaranthus tricolor Linnaeus [family AMARANTHACEAE]
Herbarium
Flora of North America (FNA)
Collection
Flora of North America
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of North America, Vol 4,
Names
Amaranthus tricolor Linnaeus [family AMARANTHACEAE], Sp. Pl., 2: 989. 1753
Treatment Author(s)
Sergei L. Mosyakin
Kenneth R. Robertson
Information
Plants annual, glabrous. Stems erect, often branched, 0.8–1.5 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2 as long as blade; blade ovate, elliptic, rhombic, or lanceolate, mostly 4–12 × 1.4–6 cm, base tapering, margins entire, usually undulate, apex acuminate and short-mucronate; distal leaf blades green, red, scarlet, maroon, purple, yellow, and cream (unique to A. tricolor). Inflorescences axillary glomerules. Bracts of pistillate flowers ovate to lanceolate, 5–6 mm. Pistillate flowers: tepals 3, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–6 mm, apex aristate; style branches spreading; stigmas 2–3. Staminate flowers intermixed with pistillate; tepals 3; stamens 3. Utricles ovoid, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile. Seeds black or brownish black, subglobose, 1 mm diam., shiny.
Phenology
jun-aug (summer), sep-nov (fall)
Distribution
native in tropical Asia.USA La.USA Mich.USA Mo.
Discussion
Amaranthus tricolor is widely cultivated as a garden plant for its showy, often variegated, distal leaves of striking colors—red, scarlet, maroon, purple, yellow, cream, and green. Other cultivated varieties with green leaves are sometimes cultivated as a potherb. Escaped plants sometimes occur near places of cultivation; we have no evidence of widespread establishment.
Native/Introduced
introduced;

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