Amaranthus polystachyus
Willd.
Amaranthaceae
Albersia polystachya Kunth
Common Name:
General Information
Amaranthus polystachyus is an annual plant.
The edible leaves and seeds are sometimes gathered from the wild and used locally.
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
Tropics
Habitat
Not known
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Pollinators | Wind, self |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Plants are particularly susceptible to attacks by leaf-chewing insects[
298- Title
- Edible Leaves of the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Martin. F. W.; Ruberte. R. M. & Meitzner. L. S.
- Publisher
- Echo. USA.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9653360-1-8
- Description
- A terse guide, giving reasonable detail on the more common leaf crops and brief information on a wide range of lesser known plants.
].
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[
196- Title
- Lost Crops of the Incas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Popenoe. H. et al
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-309-04264-X
- Description
- An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
].
Edible Uses
Leaves - cooked as a spinach[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. The nutritious leaves have a very bland flavour[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
].
Seed - cooked. 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[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[
168- Title
- Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Grae. I.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Publishing Co. New York.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0-02-544950-8
- Description
- A very good and readable book on dyeing.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ. Germination is usually rapid and good if the soil is warm[
133- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 1.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
], but poor germination rates are experienced in cool or cold soils[
289- Title
- The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
]. A drop in temperature overnight aids germination[
133- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 1.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
].
Cuttings of growing plants root easily[
206- Title
- Oriental Vegetables
- Publication
-
- Author
- Larkcom J.
- Publisher
- John Murray
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
- 0-7195-4781-4
- Description
- Well written and very informative.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
