Amaranthus albus L.
tumbleweed amaranth
Erect, much-branched, annual glabrous or glabrate herb to c. 50 cm high. Branches whitish, divaricate to ascending, angular. Lvs shortly petiolate, or petiole to 1.5 cm long. Lamina (3)-5-20-(30) × (1)-2-10-(15) mm, elliptic-obovate or nearly so; veins prominently raised below; margin undulate; base narrow-cuneate or attenuate; apex obtuse to rounded and mucronate. Infl. green, an axillary cluster of few fls, occurring in nearly all lf axils. Bracteoles 3-4.5 mm long, lanceolate-subulate, spine-tipped, prominently folded and keeled. Tepals (2)-3, 1-1.3 mm long, oblong to lanceolate. Fr. broadly ellipsoid to subglobular, from < to > tepals, circumscissile around the middle, slightly rugose. Seed c. 1 mm diam., globular, dark brown.
N.: most commonly collected from Napier and nearby parts of Hawke's Bay; S.: Nelson, Christchurch.
N. America 1875
Sporadic around docks and railway yards, especially where ballast has been deposited.
FL Jan-Mar.
Tumbleweed amaranth or white amaranth has been known in N.Z. for over a century, but has remained rare. Because of its dispersal with ballast, it is not surprising that it is naturalised in many countries. It has probably been introduced into N.Z. on several occasions; however, specimens show little variation. It has previously been confused with and sometimes known in N.Z. as A. graecizans and was first recorded as A. blitum. The latter name has also been used for A. lividus.
