Amaranthus tricolor

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Amaranthus tricolor
Amaranthus tricolor6.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Amaranthus
Species:
A. tricolor
Binomial name
Amaranthus tricolor
L.
Synonyms [1]
List
    • Amaranthus amboinicus Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
    • Amaranthus bicolor Nocca ex Willd.
    • Amaranthus cuspidatus Vis.
    • Amaranthus dubius Mart. nom. inval.
    • Amaranthus flexuosus Moq.
    • Amaranthus gangeticus L.
    • Amaranthus inamoenus Willd.
    • Amaranthus incomptus Willd.
    • Amaranthus japonicus Houtt. ex Willd.
    • Amaranthus japonicus Houtt. ex Steud.
    • Amaranthus lanceolatus Roxb.
    • Amaranthus lancifolius Roxb.
    • Amaranthus lividus Roxb. nom. illeg.
    • Amaranthus mangostanus Blanco
    • Amaranthus melancholicusL. [2]
    • Amaranthus oleraceus Roxb.
    • Amaranthus polygamus Roxb.
    • Amaranthus rotundifolius Moq.
    • Amaranthus salicifolius H.J.Veitch
    • Amaranthus tristis L.
    • Blitum gangeticum Moench
    • Blitum melancholicum Moench
    • Glomeraria bicolor Cav. ex Moq.
    • Glomeraria tricolor (L.) Cav.

Amaranthus tricolor, known as edible amaranth, [3] is a species of flowering plant in the genus Amaranthus , part of the family Amaranthaceae.

Contents

The plant is often cultivated for ornamental and culinary purposes. It is known as bireum in Korea; [3] tampala, tandaljo, or tandalja bhaji in India; [4] callaloo in the Caribbean; and Joseph's coat in other areas, in reference to the Biblical story of Joseph and the coat of many colors. Although it is native to South and South-East Asia, A. tricolor is one of several species of amaranth cultivated in warm regions across the world.[ citation needed ] Cultivars have striking yellow, red, and green foliage.

Culinary uses

Amaranthus tricolor, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804) Leiden University Library - Seikei Zusetsu vol. 23, page 024 - Ren Xian , Chi Xian  - Amaranthus tricolor L. - Yong Cai , Fan Xing  - Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. - Tetragonia tetragonioides (Pall.) Kuntze, 1804.jpg
Amaranthus tricolor, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804)

The leaves and stems may be eaten as a salad vegetable. In Africa, it is usually cooked as a leafy vegetable. [5] It is usually stir fried or steamed as a side dish in both China and Japan.[ citation needed ]

China

In China, it is referred to as xiàncài (simplified Chinese : 苋菜 ; traditional Chinese : 莧菜 ) and is often stir-fried with garlic and salt.[ citation needed ]

Korea

In Korea, the plant is referred to as bireum (비름). Small-leaved, reddish-stalked chambireum (참비름, "true bireum") is used as a namul vegetable in Korean cuisine. Considered a san-namul (wild green) that grows abundantly in the countryside, it tends to be foraged rather than planted and harvested. [6] It has an earthy and nutty flavor, and goes well with both gochujang- and soup soy sauce-based seasonings, and bori-bap (barley rice). [6] [7]

In culture

It appears on the coat of arms of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where it is called "flowers gentle".[ citation needed ]

Amaranthus gangeticus

Amaranthus gangeticus is considered a synonym of A. tricolor, [8] but has been recognized as a separate species in the past. A. gangeticus is also known as elephant-head amaranth. It is an annual flowering plant with deep purple flowers. It can grow to 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) tall. In Bangladesh, it has been used as a leafy vegetable. It may inhibit calcium retention in rice-based diets. [9]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Allium tuberosum</i> Species of onion native to southwestern parts of the Chinese province of Shanxi

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<i>Chenopodium album</i> Species of flowering plant in the goosefoot family

Chenopodium album is a fast-growing annual plant in the flowering plant family Amaranthaceae. Though cultivated in some regions, the plant is elsewhere considered a weed. Common names include lamb's quarters, melde, goosefoot, wild spinach and fat-hen, though the latter two are also applied to other species of the genus Chenopodium, for which reason it is often distinguished as white goosefoot.

<i>Ipomoea aquatica</i> Species of plant

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<i>Amaranthus blitum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Amaranthus viridis</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Amaranthus caudatus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Amaranthus spinosus</i> Species of flowering plant

Amaranthus spinosus, commonly known as the spiny amaranth, spiny pigweed, prickly amaranth or thorny amaranth, is a plant that is native to the tropical Americas, but is present on most continents as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It can be a serious weed of rice cultivation in Asia.

<i>Amaranthus retroflexus</i> Species of flowering plant

Amaranthus retroflexus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae with several common names, including red-root amaranth, redroot pigweed, red-rooted pigweed, common amaranth, pigweed amaranth, and common tumbleweed.

<i>Amaranthus palmeri</i> Species of plant

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<i>Amaranthus dubius</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Amaranthus cruentus</i> Species of flowering plant

Amaranthus cruentus is a flowering plant species that is native from Central Mexico to Nicaragua. It yields a nutritious staple amaranth grain, being one of three Amaranthus species cultivated as a grain source, the other two being Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus caudatus. It has several common names, including blood amaranth, red amaranth, purple amaranth, prince's feather, and Mexican grain amaranth.

<i>Glebionis coronaria</i> Species of flowering plant

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Species belonging to the genus Amaranthus have been cultivated for their grains for 8,000 years. Amaranth plants are classified as pseudocereals that are grown for their edible starchy seeds, but they are not in the same botanical family as true cereals, such as wheat and rice. Amaranth species that are still used as a grain are Amaranthus caudatus L., Amaranthus cruentus L., and Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. The yield of grain amaranth is comparable to that of rice or maize.

<i>Perilla frutescens</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Namul</i> Assortment of Korean vegetable dishes

Namul refers to either a variety of edible greens or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called san-namul, and spring vegetables are called bom-namul. On the day of Daeboreum, the first full moon of the year, Koreans eat boreum-namul with five-grain rice. It is believed that boreum namuls eaten in winter help one to withstand the heat of the summer to come.

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<i>Amaranthus graecizans</i> Species of flowering plant

Amaranthus graecizans, the Mediterranean amaranth or short-tepalled pigweed, is an annual species in the botanical family Amaranthaceae. It is native to Africa, southern Europe, East Asia to India and Central Asia. It is naturalized in North America. More general common names include tumbleweed and pigweed.

<i>Doellingeria scabra</i> Species of plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aehobak</span> Edible summer squash commonly used in Korean cuisine

Aehobak, also called Korean zucchini or Korean courgette, is an edible, green to yellow-green summer squash. Although nearly all summer squashes are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, aehobak belongs to the species Cucurbita moschata. Commonly used in Korean cuisine, an aehobak has the shape of zucchini, but with thinner, smoother skin, and more delicate flesh. It is usually sold in shrink-wrapped plastic.

References

  1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
  2. "Amaranthus melancholicus". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  3. 1 2 English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 349. ISBN   978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2016 via Korea Forest Service.
  4. Michel H. Porcher. "Sorting Amaranthus names".
  5. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.
  6. 1 2 Bburi Kitchen (20 April 2016). "10 Korean spring greens you should know". Stripes Korea. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  7. 정, 운헌 (6 March 2013). "박정희와 비름나물" [Park Chung-hee and bireumnamul]. Kangwon Dominilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  8. "Amaranthus gangeticus L." The Plant List. 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  9. Larsen, T.; Thilsted, S. H.; Biswas, S. K.; Tetens, I. (2007). "The leafy vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus) is a potent inhibitor of calcium availability and retention in rice-based diets". British Journal of Nutrition. 90 (3): 521–527. doi: 10.1079/BJN2003923 . PMID   13129457.