Amaranthus albus

Amaranthus albus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Amaranthus
Species:	A. albus
Binomial name
Amaranthus albus L. 1759 not Thunb. 1823 nor Rodschied ex F.Dietr. 1824
Synonyms [1]
Amaranthus gracilentusH.W.Kung Amaranthus graecizansCutanda Amaranthus littoralisHornem. Amaranthus pubescens(Uline & W.L.Bray) Rydb. Galliaria albidaBubani Glomeraria alba(L.) Cav.

Amaranthus albus is an annual species of flowering plant native to the Americas. Its common names include common tumbleweed, ^[2] tumble pigweed, ^[2] tumbleweed, ^[2] prostrate pigweed, ^[3] pigweed amaranth, white amaranth ^[2] and white pigweed. ^[2]

Description

Amaranthus albus is an annual herb growing up to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall, forming many branches. Larger specimens turn into tumbleweeds when they die and dry out. The plant creates small, greenish flowers in clumps in the axils of the leaves. Male and female flowers are mixed together in the same clump. ^{[4] [5]}

Distribution and habitat

It is native to the tropical Americas, but is a widespread introduced species in other places, including Europe, Africa, and Australia. ^{[4] [6] [7]}

Uses

In Cambodia, the leaves of the plant (which is known as phti sâ in the Khmer language) are used as pig feed, and are sometimes cooked and eaten by people. ^[8]

References

1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species" . Retrieved 2 June 2015.
2. "Amaranthus albus". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 20 July 2014.
3. NRCS. "Amaranthus albus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 7 January 2016.
4. Flora of China, 白苋 bai xian Amaranthus albus Linnaeus
5. Flora of North America, Tumbleweed amaranth, tumble pigweed, white amaranthAmaranthus albus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 1268. 1759.
6. Altervista Flora Italiana, Amaranto bianco, weißer Fuchsschwanz, carurú-branco, Amaranthus albus L. includes photos and European distribution map
7. Atlas of Living Australia
8. Pauline Dy Phon (2000). Plants Utilised In Cambodia/Plantes utilisées au Cambodge. Phnom Penh: Imprimerie Olympic. p. 121.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• Amaranthus albus in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley