Amaranthus lividus L.
purple amaranth
Glabrous or occasionally slightly hairy annual herb of spreading habit; stems procumbent. Lvs with slender petioles to 1/2 as long as blades. Lamina 1.25-5.5-(9) × 0.75-4-(7) cm (some plants with lvs only a few mm long), broadly ellipsoid, broadly ovate or obovate; base cuneate; apex emarginate or retuse, with prominent midrib prolonged to form an apical mucro. Infl. a terminal spike, usually also with short lateral spikes in the upper lf axils. Bracteoles < 1 mm long at anthesis, oblong-ovate, acute, < 1/2 perianth, with green keel. Tepals 3, 1-1.5 mm long, to 2 mm long at fruiting, ± oblong; keel green; apex acute. Fr. subglobular, indehiscent, usually smooth, sometimes slightly wrinkled, slightly > perianth. Seed 1-1.2 mm diam., globose, dark brown, occupying nearly all fr. cavity.
N.: scattered throughout, especially in towns and cities of warmer areas; S.: rare in the north.
Widespread in tropical and subtropical regions 1870
Waste places, cultivated ground; uncommon.
FL Dec-Feb.
Plants vary greatly in stature and lf size, but all specimens seen have at least most lvs with emarginate or retuse apices. N.Z. plants seem to belong to subsp. lividus. The name A. blitum L. has been applied to this plant and Fillias, F., Gaulliez, A. and Guédès, M., Taxon 29 : 149-150 (1980), argued for its retention, because the type of A. lividus is an erect cultivated plant as opposed to the almost prostrate plant which is the type of A. blitum. However, Townsend, C. C., Kew Bull. 29 : 472 (1974), argued for the rejection of A. blitum as a long-persistent source of error. A. lividus has also been recorded as A. oleraceus and A. lividus var. ascendens.
