Amaranthus spinosus
Common name
spiny amaranth
Family
Amaranthaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Similar taxa
Stems upright, branched, up to 90 cm tall, reddish, bearing spines at the bases of the leaf stalks. Leaves alternate, simple, dull green, ovate-lanceolate to ovate. Flowers small, green, in numerous long spikes. Terminal spike often wholly or chiefly staminate; axillary flower clusters mostly pistilate (Wax, Fawcett and Isely 1981).
Flower colours
Green
Year naturalised
1975
Origin
N. America, Europe
Etymology
amaranthus: From the Greek a- ‘without’ or ‘lacking’ and maraino ‘to fade’, meaning unfading and referring to the durability of the flowers of some species
spinosus: Spiny
Seed
Seeds egg-shaped, shiny black, notched at one end, about 0.7 to 1 mm wide (Wax, Fawcett and Isely 1981).