Common Name: Spreading Pigweed

General Information

Amaranthus graecizans is an annual, prostrate or decumbent plant usually growing around 50cm tall, but sometimes reaching 150cm. It is often strongly branched from the base[, ].
The edible leaves and seeds are sometimes gathered from the wild and used locally. The plant is often allowed to remain as a weed in eastern Africa, where it is also occasionally cultivated as a leaf crop for Indian people living in East Africa[].

Known Hazards

No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - mediterranean area to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka; north Africa.

Habitat

Cultivated (usually irrigated) ground; seasonally flooded sandy flats; waste ground; at elevations from sea-level to 2,900 metres in tropical Africa[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Wind, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the warm temperate zone to the tropics, where it can be found at elevation up to 2,400 metres. It grows best in regions with a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,800mm - if there is less rainfall, then it is only found during the rainy season[].
Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position, though it can also succeed in poorer soils and some shade[, ].
Harvesting of the leaves can commence about 4- 5 weeks after sowing[]. Either the whole plant is harvested, or individual leaves are picked on a cut and come again basis[].
Plants are particularly susceptible to attacks by leaf-chewing insects[].
Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity.
Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked as a spinach[, , , ]. The nutritious leaves have a very mild flavour, they are often mixed with stronger tasting leaves[, ]. A slightly bitter flavour[]. The leaves are somewhat small and fiddly to harvest - they are not usually picked with the stems because of all the flowers along the stems[].

Seed - raw or cooked[, , , ]. Rich in starch[], they can be used as a cereal substitute[]. Very small but easy to harvest and very nutritious. The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this, but it is rather difficult to crush all of the small seeds in the mouth and thus some of the seed will pass right through the digestive system without being assimilated[].

The plants are dried and burned to ashes, the filtrate is evaporated and the residue used as a substitute for common salt[].

Medicinal

The leaves are chewed and the liquid swallowed to treat tonsillitis[].

The leaves are used as an anthelmintic[].

Other Uses

Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ. Germination is usually rapid and good if the soil is warm[], but poor germination rates are experienced in cool or cold soils[]. A drop in temperature overnight aids germination[].
Cuttings of growing plants root easily[].

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