Amaranthus viridis L.
green amaranth
Sprawling or suberect annual herb, to c. 40 cm high, sparingly hairy except for young stems. Petioles of lvs of non-flowering shoots and lower part of flowering shoots to c. 6 cm long, those of infl.-lvs often much shorter. Lamina 1.7-6.5 × 8-5.5 cm, ovate or triangular-ovate, becoming glabrous above, usually remaining puberulent on the prominent pale nerves below, undulate or ± crenulate; base cuneate; apex obtuse to emarginate. Infl. a dense, elongated, terminal, puberulent spike, and branches below, usually also with short axillary spikes in upper lf axils, usually greenish brown or brown. Bracteoles 0.8-1.3 mm long, broadly ovate, mucronate, with green keel. Tepals 3, 1-1.4 mm long, oblong-spathulate, > bracteoles; keel green, ± mucronate. Fr. subglobose, = or slightly > perianth, prominently rugose, indehiscent. Seed 0.9-1.1 mm diam., subglobose, black or dark brown, occupying nearly all fr. cavity.
N.: from Bay of Plenty northwards.
Pantropical 1867
Crops, sand dunes.
FL Jan-Feb.
This is the usual weedy amaranth found in the tropical South Pacific and probably the sporadic occurrences in N.Z. have resulted from a number of accidental introductions from this region and elsewhere. Some authorities call this sp. A. gracilis Desf. and it was first recorded in N.Z. as Euxolus viridis.
