Code
AMALP
Growth form
Broadleaf
Biological cycle
Annual
Habitat
terrestrial
synonym | Albersia arenaria Schur |
synonym | Albersia ascendens Fourr. |
synonym | Albersia blitum Kunth |
synonym | Albersia livida Kunth |
synonym | Amaranthus adscendens auct. |
synonym | Amaranthus albus Rodschied ex F.Dietr. |
synonym | Amaranthus alius K.Krause |
synonym | Amaranthus ascendens Loisel. |
synonym | Amaranthus berchtoldii Seidl ex Opiz |
synonym | Amaranthus blitonius St.-Lag. |
synonym | Amaranthus blitum var. ascendens (Loisel.) DC. |
synonym | Amaranthus blitum var. polygonoides Moq. |
synonym | Amaranthus diffusus Dulac. |
synonym | Amaranthus graecizans var. blitum (L.) Kuntze |
synonym | Amaranthus lividus Hook.f. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Amaranthus lividus L. |
synonym | Amaranthus lividus subsp. ascendens (Loisel.) Wacht. |
synonym | Amaranthus lividus subsp. lividus |
synonym | Amaranthus lividus var. polygonoides (Moq.) Thell. |
synonym | Amaranthus minor Gray |
synonym | Amaranthus mucronatus Poir. |
synonym | Amaranthus oleraceus L. |
synonym | Amaranthus oleraceus Rodschied |
synonym | Amaranthus pallidus M.Bieb. |
synonym | Amaranthus polygonoides Zoll. ex Moq. [Invalid] |
synonym | Amaranthus prostratus T.Bastard [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Amaranthus ruderalis Koch ex Moq. |
synonym | Amaranthus tenuiflorus Fisch. ex Moq. |
synonym | Amaranthus viridis All. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Blitum maius Scop. |
synonym | Euxolus alius (E.H.L.Krause) E.H.L.Krause |
synonym | Euxolus ascendens (Loisel.) H.Hara |
synonym | Glomeraria blitum (L.) Cav. |
Comorian |
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Créole Maurice |
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Créole Réunion |
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Créole Seychelles |
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English |
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French |
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Italian |
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Malgache |
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Portuguese |
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Spanish; Castilian |
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Global description
Amaranthus blitum is prostrate or erect at the ends, 6 to 60 cm high, with a slender to stout stem, ribbed, glabrous, simple or highly branched from the base. The leaves are rhomboid or oval, wide angled at the base, largely indented at the apex, often marked with a light or dark spot at the upper side. The edge is sometimes wavy. The flowers are green, grouped in spikes, slender or sturdy, terminals or at the base of the leaves. The fruits are sub spherical capsules, compressed, usually quite smooth, indehiscent, but it sometimes wrinkles when dry.Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Madagascar : A. blitum is an early, fast-growing species that quickly sets seed before harvest in almost all rainfed crops.
Morocco: Amaranthus blitum flowers and fruits from May to November.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Amaranthus blitum is an annual plant. It is propagated by seeds. These are dispersed by water or birds.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Key for Amaranthus
Prostrate growth habit | A. blitum | |||
Erect growth habit | a pair of spines on the axils of the leaves | A. spinosus | ||
No spines | Leaves is about 10 to 20 cm | A. hybridus | ||
Leaves about 10 cm | Flower of 3 tepals | A. viridis | ||
Flower of 5 tepals | A. dubius |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Brazil: Amaranthus blitum occurs particularly in the south-eastern region.
Comoros: ruderal species, present in newly cleared fields.
Madagascar: Amaranthus blitum is a widespread ruderal species in Upland regions, West, East and North-West of the island. It grows on ferralitic soils, ferruginous soils and fairly rich alluvium grounds in sunny or slightly shady areas. It is found along the roads and around houses, and it is a weed of rainfed cultures in all humid and sub-humid areas of Madagascar in cultures of maize and in cultures of vegetables in semi-intensive system with input of organic manure
Mauritius: Weed very common in vegetable crops in the three agro-climatic zones of Mauritius; it also occurs on roadsides and in vacant lots.
Morocco: Amaranthus blitum is a nitrophilous species, common in crops, wasteland and damp, ruderalized areas.
Reunion: Species commonly found in ruderal and cultures all over the island up to 1000 m altitude. It prefers rich soils.
Seychelles: weed of vegetable crops.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Origin
Species native to the Mediterranean region.Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local harmfulness
Brazil: Amaranhus blitum is a common weed in gardens and crops.
Comoros: Amaranthus blitum is a weed which is very abundant in vegetable crops and able to stifle the young crops when weeding is delayed.
Madagascar: A. blitum is a weed which is infrequent and not abundant in crops. It can be relatively abundant in vegetable cultivations in suburban areas where weeding by hands is practically the only mean of control used.
Mauritius: It is a very important weed with a strong aggressiveness in most vegetable crops; it can also act as a host plant for certain insect pests. It is practically absent in sugarcane.
Morocco: Amaranthus blitum is a common weed in field crops on the Atlantic coast.
Reunion: common weed, encountered in 30% of the parcels cultivated in all types of crops (sugar cane, vegetables, pineapple, lentils). It is generally scarce, but it has been observed in some situations with over 70% cover of the plot.
Seychelles: Locally abundant and troublesome in young vegetables.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Food: flour is made from the seeds; the leaves and young stems are used as vegetable, rich in vitamins, proteins and other nutrients.
Feeding: Can be browsed by goats.Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local control
Comoros: Easy to remove, weeding of Amaranthus blitum is done manually.
Madagascar: In Madagascar farmers practice manual weeding (in nurseries and market gardens) and manual weeding with angady in rainfed crops (corn, cotton, beans).
Mauritius: The control is done by manual weeding or hoeing.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Amaranthus%2520blitum
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Caryophyllales |
Family | Amaranthaceae |
Genus | Amaranthus |
Species | Amaranthus blitum L. |