Amaranthus pallidiflorus
F. Muell.
Pale-flowered amaranth
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Wikimedia Commons - Kevin Thiele from Perth, Australia
Summary
An annual amaranth reaching 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall. Frost tender with monoecious flowers pollinated by wind and self-fertile. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Suitable for mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH. Requires full sun and prefers moist conditions.
Description
An annual plant. It can be erect or lie along the ground and curve up at the ends. It grows 10-100 cm high. The flowers are green and white.
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Edible Uses
The leaves are cooked as a spinach. The seeds are cooked rather than eaten raw. Though very small, they are easy to harvest and highly nutritious. When cooked whole the seeds become very gelatinous, but because they are difficult to crush completely in the mouth, some will pass through the digestive system without being fully assimilated.
Traditional Uses
The leaves and seeds are edible cooked. CAUTION: This plant can accumulate nitrates if grown with high nitrogen inorganic fertilisers and these are poisonous.
Medicinal Uses
None known
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 is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in the warmer parts of Eastern Australia. It grows in sandy soils.
Where It Grows
Australia*,
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know how well it will grow in Britain, though it should succeed as a spring-sown annual. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. 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.
Propagation
Sow seed in late spring directly in situ. For an earlier start, sow in a greenhouse and transplant after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good when the soil is warm, and a drop in temperature overnight aids the process. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.
Other Uses
Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant. The plant is also noted as a dynamic accumulator.
Notes
There are about 60 Amaranthus species.
Synonyms
References (3)
- Checklist of NT Vascular Plant Species. January 2003.
- Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 137
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
