Amaranthus cruentus

Amaranthus cruentus is a flowering plant species that is native from Central Mexico to Nicaragua. It yields a nutritious staple amaranth grain, being one of three Amaranthus species cultivated as a grain source, the other two being Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus caudatus. It has several common names, including blood amaranth, red amaranth, purple amaranth, prince's feather, and Mexican grain amaranth.

Description

An annual erect plant. It grows to 2 m high. The stems are angular. It often branches in the upper section. It is smooth but may be hairy on younger plant parts. The young parts can be tinged purple. The leaves are oval to sword shaped and can be 10-15 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They have a leaf stalk 1-7.5 cm long. The leaves often narrow towards the tip. They can also become thinner towards the base. There may be hairs on the midrib. The leaf may be tinged purple underneath. The flowers clusters are often branched and on side branches. The stiff branched flower arrangement at the top can be 15-25 cm long. The fruit is oval and the seed can be 1-1.3 mm across. The seed is dark brown but pale brown forms are used as grain in Central America.

Edible Uses

Colouring. Amaranthus cruentus has a long history of cultivation, especially in South and Central America, where it was grown as a staple seed crop by the Aztec and Maya civilizations. It remains a traditional and important crop in Mexico, Guatemala, and the Andes. Unlike Amaranthus blitoides or A. albus, red amaranth is primarily a cultivated species rather than a common wild plant, and thus less likely to be encountered by casual foragers. The seeds are highly nutritious and versatile, ranking among the best of all amaranths. They can be popped like popcorn, toasted, boiled into porridge, or ground into flour for breads and cakes. Seeds are usually lighter-colored than those of wild amaranths, often cream to golden, and are much easier to process. Their protein content is complete, rich in lysine, which is rare for grains. The leaves are also edible, though they are less commonly used than the seeds. They can be eaten fresh, cooked, or boiled, with a flavor similar to spinach but often milder. Culturally, A. cruentus was used by the Hopi people of Arizona to color traditional “piki bread.” The deep red flower spikes imparted a pink hue to this iconic ceremonial food. Edibility Rating: 5/5 – Excellent seed crop, with additional value in leaves.Leaves - cooked as spinach. The mild-flavoured leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals. Seed - very small but easy to harvest and very nutritious. They are eaten cooked or ground into a powder and used for making cakes etc. They can also be sprouted and used in salads. The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this, but it is rather difficult to crush all of the small seeds in the mouth, and thus some of the seed will pass right through the digestive system without being assimilated. The flowers are used as a food colouring in ceremonial maize bread.

Traditional Uses

The leaves and young plant are eaten cooked. They are also dried and stored. The seeds are ground into flour and used to make bread. The seeds are popped and used to prepare candy. CAUTION: This plant can accumulate nitrates if grown with high nitrogen inorganic fertilisers and these are poisonous. The leaves can only be stored for 2-4 days.

Medicinal Uses

The plant can be cultivated from the tropics to the temperate zone. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 45°c. It can be killed by temperatures of 4°c or lower. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 2,400mm, but tolerates 500 - 4,000mm. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.3 - 7.5. Often cultivated as a food crop and ornamental plant, it has escaped from cultivation in many areas and become naturalised as a weed of cultivated and disturbed ground. A fast-growing plant, the first crop of leaves can be harvested in 30 - 50 days from sowing the seed, and the plant can carry on being harvested for up to another 250 days. Grain yields usually range from 800-1200 kg/ha but with the use of fertilizers the yield can be raised up to 3 t/ha. This species is cultivated for its edible seed in many parts of S. America and in Japan. There is at least one named variety, 'Oeschberg' is a very productive plant, growing 1 metre tall and can yield up to 2.5 tonnes per hectare. This species is the most adaptable of the grain amaranths, it also flowers under a wider range of daylength hours than the other species. Plants are particularly susceptible to attacks by leaf-chewing insects. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions.

Known Hazards

No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.

Distribution

It grows in the tropics and more temperate regions. In the tropics it is mainly in the highlands. In Papua New Guinea it grows best between 1,200 and 2,200 m altitude. It needs a night temperature above 15°C and preferably a day temperatures above 25°C. It is best in fertile, well drained soil. In Argentina it grows between sea level and 1,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, Chile, China, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico*, Mozambique, Nigeria, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Tolerates a pH in the range 4 to 7.5. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. This species is cultivated for its edible seed in many parts of S. America and in Japan. There is at least one named variety, 'Oeschberg' is a very productive plant, growing 1 metre tall and can yield up to 2.5 tonnes per hectare. This species is the most adaptable of the grain amaranths, it also flowers under a wider range of daylength hours than the other species. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The predictable growth behaviour makes it easier to maintain without having to apply containment methods.

Propagation

Sow seed in late spring in situ. An earlier sowing can be made in a greenhouse, with plants moved outside after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good in warm soil; a drop in temperature overnight aids germination. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.

Other Uses

Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant. The plant is also used as a dynamic accumulator and is suitable for food forest systems.

Production

Yields of 800-1500 kg per hectare are achieved. Plants can be harvested by pulling up the entire plant or by removing leaves over several harvests.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is an important and popular leafy green.

Notes

Seed (Fresh weight) Protein: 15 %. There are about 60 Amaranthus species. It can help control nematode populations. It is a C4 plant.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Adjogodo, Alayyafu, Alefo, Ama, Anapatsa mena, Bathu, Bee kumpeeyu, Bionuda, Biteku teku, Bitembele, Boroboro, Chaulai, Chekoi, Dodo, Doodo, Efan, Efo tete, Fotete, Gango, Grain amaranth, Grins, Hancai, Han ts'oi, Hondi, Inca wheat, Inene, Kaky mena, Ka-bonthila, Kitembele, Lalchulai, Lengalenga, Madze, Mangara kunge, Marsa, Mbwembo, Mitembele, Moca, Monzonda, Muotsu, Ngwengu, Nut keerai, Omujuiga, Phak khom daeng, Phatakshii, Quelite blanco, Rajgira, Rajira, Rana-tampala, Rau den, Red shank, Seul, Sobue, Soman we, Swie, Tandulga, Tete, Tetefufu, Tete nla, Thepe, Trator, Tseque, Tshiubavhakololo, Ts'iteli jijlaq'a, Tubua

References (110)

• Achigan-Dako, E, et al (Eds), 2009, Catalogue of Traditional Vegetables in Benin. International Foundation for Science.
• Achigan-Dako, E. G., et al, (Eds.), 2010, Traditional vegetables in Benin. Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin. Imprimeries du CENAP, Cotonou.
• Agea, J. G., et al 2011, Wild and Semi-wild Food Plants of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom of Uganda: etc. Environmental Research Journal 5(2) 74-86 (As Amaranthus hybridus subsp. cruentus)
• Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 34 (As Amaranthus paniculatus)
• Andabati, B., & Muyonga, J., 2014, Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of selected Ugandian traditional medicinal foods. African Journal of Food Science. 8(8), pp 427-434

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