Amaranthus caudatus L.

Hassan, Walaa A., Al-Shaye, Najla A., Alghamdi, Salma, Korany, Shereen M. & Iamonico, Duilio, 2022, Taxonomic revision of the genus Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) in Saudi Arabia, Phytotaxa 576 (2), pp. 135-157 : 148-149

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.576.2.1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7465672

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C98796-4B4A-FFAF-06B9-04EF530D60AA

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Amaranthus caudatus L.
status

 

9. Amaranthus caudatus L. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 2: 990. 1753

Type (lectotype designated by Towsend 1974: 10):—UNKNOWN ORIGIN. Habitat in Perù, Persia, Zeylonia, Herb. Linn. No. 1117.26 (LINN!, image of the lectotype available at http://linnean-online.org/11652/) .

Description:— Herbs 8–15 dm tall, monoecious, annual (therophyte). Stems erect, glabrous (pubescent in the distal part), red to purple, branched. Leaves red, ovate, rhomboidal 5.0–15.0 × 2.0–8.0 cm), with entire margins, apex obtuse or acute, mucronate, base cuneate, often pubescent, petioled (petiole 1.0–12.0 cm long). Synflorescences terminal, spike-like, up to 60–70 cm long, red to purple, pendulous (terminal florescence 30 cm long or more). Floral bracts greenish to reddish, ovate to lanceolate-linear (3.0–4.0 × 0.8–1.5 mm) longer than the perianth, acute, awned, margin entire, glabrous. Staminate flowers with 5 tepals, ovate; stamens 5. Pistillate flowers with 5 tepals, lanceolate-spathulate (1.0–2.5 × 0.3–1.3 mm), with acute (in this case mucronate) or obtuse (sometimes emarginate) apex; stigmas 3. Fruit brownish, globose (1.5–2.5 × 1.4–1.9 mm), as long as or longer than the perianth, smooth to rugose, dehiscent. Seed lenticular (1.0– 1.5 mm in diameter), dark-brown to brownish-black.

Iconography:— Beck (1909: Tab. 297, figures 1–2), Bayón (2015: 277, Figura 6).

Phenology:— Flowering time december.

Habitat and elevation:— Dry and rocky places, human-made habitat, around 1700 m a.s.l.

Chromosome number:— 2n = 34, 68.

Alien status:— Neophyte species native to South America ( Argentina, Equador, Peru, and Bolivia), it can be considered as casual in Saudi Arabia (Makkah).

Occurrence in Saudi Arabia ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ):— According to Chaudhary (1998: 236) this species would be cultivated only in Saudi Arabia (as ornamental plant). Despite no wild plants were found by us during the field survey, we traced one specimen at IND, so confirming that the species occurs in Saudi Arabia .

Specimina visa selecta:— SAUDI ARABIA, Makkah, about 5 km N of Taif , dry, rocky hillside, military base, 1720 m, 11 February 1977, leg. Humbles 100032, det. Johnson (IND0088369!) .

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