Amaranthus spinosus

<<<<Male flowers>Stamens>Anthers>Shape>Length

to 2.3 mm long1

1. 005-003-002-001-001

<<<Female flowers>Tepals>Apex>Shape

acute to retuse2

2. 006-002-004-001

<<<Inflorescences>Bracts>Shape>Length

1-5 mm long3

3. 003-004-001-001

<<<Male flowers>Stamens>Anthers>Shape

linear, , apiculate4

4. 005-003-002-001

<<<Male flowers>Tepals>Outer tepals>Tepal number

25

5. 005-002-003-001

<<<Male flowers>Tepals>Shape>Dimensions

2.1 x 1.0 mm6

6. 005-002-002-001

<<Female flowers>Stigma>Growth form

usually spreading7

7. 006-003-002

<<Female flowers>Stigma>Stigma number

2-38

8. 006-003-001

<<Female flowers>Tepals>Apex

apex , mucronulate;9

9. 006-002-004

<<Female flowers>Tepals>Dimensions

1.5-2.5 x 1 mm10

10. 006-002-003

<<Female flowers>Tepals>Shape

lanceolate, oblong to elliptical11

11. 006-002-002

<<Female flowers>Tepals>Tepal number

512

12. 006-002-001

<<Flowers>Midveins>Colour

green13

13. 004-002-001

<<Habit>Stems>Colour

green, pink or red14

14. 001-003-001

<<Habit>Stipular spines>Growth form

spreading to slightly recurved15

15. 001-004-003

<<Habit>Stipular spines>Length

to 2.5 cm long16

16. 001-004-001

<<Habit>Stipular spines>Position

axillary17

17. 001-004-002

<<Inflorescences>Bracts>Shape

lanceolate to subulate, , shorter than or only very slightly exceeding perianth, sometimes subspinose18

18. 003-004-001

<<Inflorescences>Position>Width

5-15 mm wide19

19. 003-001-001

<<Male flowers>Stamens>Anthers

anthers .20

20. 005-003-002

<<Male flowers>Stamens>Stamen number

521

21. 005-003-001

<<Male flowers>Tepals>Outer tepals

(outer tepals mucronulate)22

22. 005-002-003

<<Male flowers>Tepals>Shape

lanceolate or oblong, , acute, apiculate23

23. 005-002-002

<<Male flowers>Tepals>Tepal number

524

24. 005-002-001

<<Petiole>Blade>Dimensions

to 11 x 5 cm25

25. 002-002-002

<<Petiole>Blade>Shape

ovate to elliptical or rhombic26

26. 002-002-001

<<Utricles>Seeds>Colour

black or (reddish-)brown, lustrous27

27. 007-003-003

<<Utricles>Seeds>Shape

lenticular28

28. 007-003-001

<<Utricles>Seeds>Width

0.7-1.1 mm wide29

29. 007-003-002

<Female flowers>Flower number

more numerous than male flowers30

30. 006-001

<Female flowers>Stigma

stigmas , .31

31. 006-003

<Female flowers>Tepals

tepals , , ,32

32. 006-002

<Flowers>Colour

green, white or brown, hyaline33

33. 004-001

<Flowers>Midveins

midvein .34

34. 004-002

<Habit>Hairs

glabrous35

35. 001-001

<Habit>Height

to 1.5(-2) m36

36. 001-002

<Habit>Stems

stems slightly woody at base, striate, ;37

37. 001-003

<Habit>Stipular spines

rigid stipular spines , , paired, .38

38. 001-004

<Inflorescences>Bracts

bracts .39

39. 003-004

<Inflorescences>Length

to ca. 14 cm long40

40. 003-003

<Inflorescences>Position

axillary clusters, , terminal41

41. 003-001

<Inflorescences>Shape

linear42

42. 003-002

<Male flowers>Position

terminal43

43. 005-001

<Male flowers>Stamens

stamens ,44

44. 005-003

<Male flowers>Tepals

tepals , ;45

45. 005-002

<Petiole>Blade

blade , , undulate.46

46. 002-002

<Petiole>Length

to 6(-8) cm long47

47. 002-001

<Utricles>Seeds

seed , , .48

48. 007-003

<Utricles>Shape

ovoid-conical49

49. 007-001

<Utricles>Texture

smooth or somewhat puckered below50

50. 007-002

Common Name

Boni (French Guiana): epinard, mboya English (Suriname): kraroen, maka kraroen

Description

Annual, monoecious or polygamo-monoecious, robust, glabrous herb to 1.5(-2) m; stems slightly woody at base, striate, green, pink or red; rigid stipular spines to 2.5 cm long, axillary, paired, spreading to slightly recurved. Petiole to 6(-8) cm long, about as long as blade; blade ovate to elliptical or rhombic, to 11 x 5 cm, undulate. Inflorescence of axillary clusters, 5-15 mm wide, terminallinear spikes or panicles to ca. 14 cm long; bracts lanceolate to subulate, 1-5 mm long, shorter than or only very slightly exceeding perianth, sometimes subspinose. Flowers green, white or brown, hyaline, midvein green. Male flowers usually at or near apex of terminal portion of inflorescence; tepals 5, lanceolate or oblong, 2.1 x 1.0 mm, acute, apiculate(outer 2 tepals mucronulate); stamens 5, anthers linear, to 2.3 mm long, apiculate. Female flowers more numerous than male flowers; tepals 5, lanceolate, oblong to elliptical, 1.5-2.5 x 1 mm, apex acute to retuse, mucronulate; stigmas 2-3, usually spreading. Utricle irregularly dehiscent or circumscissile, ovoid-conical, smooth or somewhat puckered below; seed lenticular, 0.7-1.1 mm wide, black or (reddish-)brown, lustrous.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan present, Guianas present

Cosmopolitan, of neotropical origin; 30 collections studied, all from the Guianas (GU: 5; SU: 14; FG: 11).

Female flowers

Female flowers ;51

51. 006

Flowers

Flowers ,52

52. 004

Habit

Annual, monoecious or polygamo-monoecious, robust, herb ;53

53. 001

Individuals Association

Suriname, Near Boskamp at mouth of Coppename R., Wessels Boer 495 Suriname, Poelepantje, Paramaribo, Jonker-Verhoef & Jonker 243 Bourg de Saint-Laurent du Maroni, Bassin du Bas-Maroni, Fleury 266 Guyana, Rupununi Distr., Lethem, E bank of Takutu R., Irwin 769 Iles du Salut, Ile Royale, Cremers 8429 Guyana, Vreed-en-Hoop, W bank of Demerara R., opposite Georgetown, Hitchcock 16697 Route de Baduel, Ile de Cayenne, Hoff 5085 Suriname, Saramacca Distr., Experimental Farm Kabo, Everaarts 792

Inflorescences

Inflorescence of spikes or panicles ;54

54. 003

Male flowers

Male flowers usually at or near apex of portion of inflorescence;55

55. 005

Petiole

Petiole , about as long as blade;56

56. 002

Uses

In Suriname, the leaves are eaten in salads or (alone) as a vegetable (Ostendorf, 1962; Oldeman 2173).

Utricles

Utricle irregularly dehiscent or circumscissile, , ;57

57. 007

Primary tabs

Content