Amaranthus viridis
Common name
Green amaranth
Family
Amaranthaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Habitat
Found in gardens, wastelands, pastures and along roadsides (Ermert and Clapp 1998) crops, sand dunes (Webb et al, 1988).
Similar taxa
A. viridis is a vigorous annual that grows up to around 1 m tall. The leaves are mid to light green, deeply veined and alternate. They have a long leaf stalk with a broad base tapering to a pointed tip. The inflorescence, the flowering part of the plant, is a dense spike of small green flowers. Small brown fruits that contain seeds follow flowering. (Ermert and Clapp 1998).
Flower colours
Green
Year naturalised
1867
Origin
pantropical
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
viridis: From the Latin viridis ‘green’
Reproduction
Amaranthus reproduces via the many seeds produced after flowering (Eremert and Clapp 1998)