Amaranthus blitoides S.Watson, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts

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 : 145

7. Amaranthus blitoides S.Watson, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 273. 1877

Type (lectotype designated by Fernald 1945: 139):— U.S.A. Iowa: Ames, gravelly or sandy soils especially around buildings and along roads, Bessey s.n. (GH00036983!, image of the lectotype available at https://kiki.huh.harvard.edu/databases/specimen_search.php? mode=details&id=58020) .

Description:— Herbs (0.4–)1–5 (rarely up to 10) dm tall, monoecious, annual (therophyte). Stems prostrate-ascending, glabrous (rarely sparsely pubescent), pale green to brown, branched. Leaves usually green (sometimes with a central whitish spot), oblong-lanceolate to obovate-spathulate [1.0–3.0(–4.0) × (0.3–)0.5–1.0(–1.5) cm], sometimes fleshy, with entire or undulate margins, apex acute or rounded, often mucronate, base cuneate, glabrous, with marginal white vein, petioled (petiole 0.5–1.8 cm long). Synflorescences arranged in axillary glomerules, reddish or green. Floral bracts green or greenish, ovate to lanceolate (1.3–3.0 × 0.4–0.7 mm), shorter than the longest perianth segments, acute, margin entire, glabrous. Staminate flowers with 3(–4) tepals, ovate to lanceolate; stamens 3. Pistillate flowers with (4–)5 unequal tepals, lanceolate, elliptic [the greater 1.5–2.5(–3.5) × (0.7–)1.0– 1.2 mm], with acute to acuminate, and mucronate apex; stigmas 3. Fruit brown or reddish, ellipsoidal (2.0–2.2 × 1.0– 1.4 mm), as long as or longer than the tepals, usually smooth, dehiscent. Seed lenticular (1.5–1.7 mm in diameter), black.

Occurrence in Saudi Arabia:— Jizan [first record, var. blitoides (see below)], Makkah ( Iamonico 2016c) .