amaranth

amaranth, (genus Amaranthus), genus of 60–70 species of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae, distributed nearly worldwide. Several amaranth species are useful as food crops and are grown both for their leaves and for their edible seeds, which are a nutritious pseudocereal (nongrass seeds used like cereal grains). A number of species, including love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus), prince’s feather (A. hypochondriacus), and Joseph’s coat (A. tricolor), are common garden ornamentals. Several species are considered weeds.

Physical description

Amaranth plants typically are annuals or short-lived perennials. The stems often are reddish in colour and sometimes are armed with spines; they bear simple alternately arranged leaves and often feature a pinkish taproot. The plants can be monoecious (flowers of both sexes are on the same individual) or dioecious (each individual produces flowers of a single sex). The small flowers typically feature colourful bracts and are arranged in dense showy inflorescences; a single plant can produce hundreds or thousands of seeds, borne singly in dry capsule fruits. The plants utilize a photosynthetic pathway known as C₄ carbon fixation, which largely prevents photorespiration and thus increases drought tolerance.

History of use

Several species of amaranth have been used for food by Native Americans and pre-Columbian civilizations since prehistoric times. Aztecs and peoples of other cultures consumed both the leafy greens and the seeds, and they used the plants as medicinal herbs and as a source of ceremonial face and body paint. Only three species are commonly grown as minor food crops in modern agriculture: red amaranth (A. cruentus), love-lies-bleeding, and prince’s feather, and they are of local importance in parts of Latin America, tropical Asia, and Africa. Given that amaranths typically produce high yields of leaves and seeds, are easy to grow and harvest, and are simple to cook, the plants hold promise as potential alternative crops. Both the leaves and the seeds are nutritionally dense and are good sources of dietary fibre, calcium, and iron; the seeds are also high in protein. The leaves can be eaten fresh or cooked like spinach and are often added to salads or soups. The nutty-tasting seeds can be popped, cooked into a porridge, or ground into a flour for use in baked goods (typically mixed with grain flours).

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Weed species

A number of amaranths are noxious agricultural weeds, and several are considered invasive species in areas outside their native ranges. Often known as pigweeds, these competitive species are tolerant to a variety of growing conditions and readily reseed themselves. At least one species, Palmer’s amaranth (A. palmeri), has developed resistance to the common herbicide glyphosate and is a troublesome pest in genetically modified cotton and soybean crops in the United States.