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61-501: See text Amaranthus is a cosmopolitan group of more than 50 species which make up the genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths . Some of the better known names include " prostrate pigweed " and " love lies bleeding ". Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables , pseudocereals , and ornamental plants . Catkin -like cymes of densely-packed flowers grow in summer or fall. Amaranth varies in flower, leaf, and stem color with

122-554: A cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats ; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and environmental conditions, though this is not always so. Killer whales ( orcas ) are among the most well-known cosmopolitan species on the planet, as they maintain several different resident and transient (migratory) populations in every major oceanic body on Earth, from

183-491: A "difficult" genus and to hybridize often. In 1955, Sauer classified the genus into two subgenera, differentiating only between monoecious and dioecious species: Acnida (L.) Aellen ex K.R. Robertson and Amaranthus . Although this classification was widely accepted, further infrageneric classification was (and still is) needed to differentiate this widely diverse group. Mosyakin and Robertson 1996 later divided into three subgenera: Acnida, Amaranthus, and Albersia. The support for

244-427: A broad range of environmental tolerances or from rapid dispersal compared to the time needed for speciation . Perianth In flowering plants , the perianth may be described as being either dichlamydeous / heterochlamydeous in which the calyx and corolla are clearly separate, or homochlamydeous , in which they are indistinguishable (and the sepals and petals are collectively referred to as tepals ). When

305-413: A cosmopolitan species is an endemic (native) species, or one that is found only in a single geographical location. Endemism usually results in organisms with specific adaptations to one particular climate or region, and the species would likely face challenges if placed in a different environment. There are far more examples of endemic species than cosmopolitan species; one example being the snow leopard ,

366-655: A degree still is, often considered an invasive species as all other species of amaranth (except the generally imported A. caudatus cultivar), though some have traditionally appreciated it as a leaf vegetable, under the names of caruru or bredo , which is consumed cooked, generally accompanying the staple food, rice and beans . In the Caribbean, the leaves are called bhaji in Trinidad and callaloo in Jamaica, and are sautéed with onions, garlic, and tomatoes, or sometimes used in

427-412: A minor portion of their ingredients despite them being marketed as "amaranth" products. Amaranth species are cultivated and consumed as a leaf vegetable in many parts of the world. Four species of Amaranthus are documented as cultivated vegetables in eastern Asia: Amaranthus cruentus , Amaranthus blitum , Amaranthus dubius , and Amaranthus tricolor . In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth

488-634: A planet too large for local populations to interbreed routinely with each other include genetic effects such as ring species , such as in the Larus gulls, and the formation of clines such as in Drosophila . Cosmopolitan distributions can be observed both in extinct and extant species. For example, Lystrosaurus was cosmopolitan in the Early Triassic after the Permian-Triassic extinction event . In

549-400: A popular dal called thotakura pappu ( తోటకూర పప్పు ) in ( Telugu ). In Maharashtra, it is called shravani maath and is available in both red and white colour. In Orissa, it is called khada saga , it is used to prepare saga bhaja , in which the leaf is fried with chili and onions. In West Bengal , the green variant is called Notey Shaak ( নটে শাক ) and the red variant

610-525: A primary root with deeper spreading secondary fibrous root structures. Inflorescences are in the form a large panicle that varies from terminal to axial, color, and sex. The tassel of fluorescence is either erect or bent and varies in width and length between species. Flowers are radially symmetric and either bisexual or unisexual with very small, bristly perianth and pointy bracts . Species in this genus are either monecious (e.g. A. hybridus , ) or dioecious (e.g. A. palmeri ). Fruits are in

671-569: A protein that is particularly well-suited to human nutritional needs, interest in amaranth seeds (especially A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus ) revived in the 1970s. It was recovered in Mexico from wild varieties and is now commercially cultivated. It is a popular snack in Mexico, sometimes mixed with chocolate or puffed rice, and its use has spread to Europe and other parts of North America. Several species are raised for amaranth "grain" in Asia and

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732-477: A range of striking pigments from the spectrum of maroon to crimson and can grow longitudinally from 1 to 2.5 metres (3 to 8 feet) tall with a cylindrical, succulent , fibrous stem that is hollow with grooves and bracteoles when mature. There are approximately 75 species in the genus, 10 of which are dioecious and native to North America, and the remaining 65 are monoecious species that are endemic to every continent (except Antarctica) from tropical lowlands to

793-495: A rich source of vitamin A , vitamin C , calcium , and manganese, with moderate levels of folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium . Amaranth does not contain gluten . The native range of the genus is cosmopolitan. In pre-Hispanic times, amaranth was cultivated by the Aztec and their tributary communities in a quantity very similar to maize. Known to the Aztecs as huāuhtli , amaranth

854-592: A role in attracting pollinators , but this may be augmented by more specialised structures like the corona (see below). When the perianth consists of separate tepals the term apotepalous is used, or syntepalous if the tepals are fused to one another. The petals may be united to form a tubular corolla ( gamopetalous or sympetalous ). If either the petals or sepals are entirely absent, the perianth can be described as being monochlamydeous . Both sepals and petals may have stomata and veins, even if vestigial. In some taxa, for instance some magnolias and water lilies ,

915-495: A soup called pepperpot soup. Making up about 5% of the total fatty acids of amaranth, squalene is extracted as a vegetable-based alternative to the more expensive shark oil for use in dietary supplements and cosmetics . The flowers of the 'Hopi Red Dye' amaranth were used by the Hopi (a tribe in the western United States) as the source of a deep red dye . Also a synthetic dye was named " amaranth " for its similarity in color to

976-520: A species found only in Central Asian mountain ranges, an environment to which the cats have adapted over millions of years. The caveat "in appropriate habitat" is used to qualify the term "cosmopolitan distribution", excluding in most instances polar regions, extreme altitudes, oceans, deserts, or small, isolated islands. For example, the housefly is highly cosmopolitan, yet is neither oceanic nor polar in its distribution. The term pandemism also

1037-522: A statue of the god was made out of amaranth seeds and honey, and at the end of the month, it was cut into small pieces so everybody could eat a piece of the god. After the Spanish conquest, cultivation of amaranth was outlawed, while some of the festivities were subsumed into the Christmas celebration. Amaranth is associated with longevity and, poetically, with death and immortality. Amaranth garlands were used in

1098-541: A wide variety of morphological diversity among and even within certain species. Amaranthus is part of the Amaranthaceae that is part of the larger grouping of the Carophyllales. Although the family ( Amaranthaceae ) is distinctive, the genus has few distinguishing characters among the 75 species present across six continents. This complicates taxonomy and Amaranthus has generally been considered among systematists as

1159-580: Is glyphosate -resistant and so cannot be killed by herbicides using the chemical. Also, this plant can survive in tough conditions. The species Amaranthus palmeri (Palmer amaranth) causes the greatest reduction in soybean yields and has the potential to reduce yields by 17-68% in field experiments. Palmer amaranth is among the "top five most troublesome weeds" in the southeast of the United States and has already evolved resistances to dinitroaniline herbicides and acetolactate synthase inhibitors . This makes

1220-619: Is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value , DV) of protein , dietary fiber , pantothenic acid , vitamin B6 , folate , and several dietary minerals (table). Uncooked amaranth is particularly rich in manganese (159% DV), phosphorus (80% DV), magnesium (70% DV), iron (59% DV), and selenium (34% DV). Amaranth has a high oxalate content. Cooking decreases its nutritional value substantially across all nutrients, with only dietary minerals remaining at moderate levels. Cooked amaranth leaves are

1281-656: Is called Laal Shaak ( লাল শাক ). In China, the leaves and stems are used as a stir-fry vegetable, or in soups. In Vietnam, it is called rau dền and is used to make soup . Two species are popular as edible vegetable in Vietnam: dền đỏ ( Amaranthus tricolor ) and dền cơm or dền trắng ( Amaranthus viridis ). A traditional food plant in Africa, amaranth has the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security , foster rural development and support sustainable land care. In Bantu regions of Uganda and western Kenya, it

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1342-630: Is called bayam (although the word has since been loaned to refer to spinach , in a different genus). In the Philippines, the Ilocano word for the plant is kalunay ; the Tagalog word for the plant is kilitis or kulitis . In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India, it is called chaulai and is a popular red leafy vegetable (referred to in the class of vegetable preparations called laal saag ). It

1403-446: Is called mulaikkira and is regularly consumed as a favourite dish, where the greens are steamed and mashed with light seasoning of salt, red chili pepper, and cumin. It is called keerai masial . In the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and other Telugu speaking regions of the country, this leaf is called as " Thotakura " and is cooked as a standalone curry, added as a part of mix leafy vegetable curry or added in preparation of

1464-463: Is called chua in Kumaun area of Uttarakhand, where it is a popular red-green vegetable. In Karnataka in India, it is called harive soppu ( ಹರಿವೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು ). It is used to prepare curries such as hulee, palya, majjigay-hulee , and so on. In Kerala, it is called cheera and is consumed by stir-frying the leaves with spices and red chili peppers to make a dish called cheera thoran . In Tamil Nadu, it

1525-527: Is home to some indigenous species within the Myrmeleontidae, but nonetheless no one species, nor even genus, of the Myrmeleontidae is cosmopolitan. Conversely, partly as a result of human introduction of unnatural apiculture to the New World, Apis mellifera probably is the only cosmopolitan member of its family; the rest of the family Apidae have modest distributions. Even where a cosmopolitan population

1586-430: Is in use, but not all authors are consistent in the sense in which they use the term; some speak of pandemism mainly in referring to diseases and pandemics , and some as a term intermediate between endemism and cosmopolitanism, in effect regarding pandemism as subcosmopolitanism . This means near cosmopolitanism, but with major gaps in the distribution , say, complete absence from Australia. Terminology varies, and there

1647-604: Is known as doodo or litoto . It is also known among the Kalenjin as a drought crop ( chepkerta ). In Lingala (spoken in the Congo), it is known as lɛngalɛnga or bítɛkutɛku . In Nigeria, it is a common vegetable and goes with all Nigerian starch dishes. It is known in Yoruba as shoko , a short form of shokoyokoto (meaning "make the husband fat"), or arowo jeja (meaning "we have money left over for fish"). In Botswana, it

1708-535: Is recognised as a single species, such as indeed Apis mellifera , there generally will be variation between regional sub-populations. Such variation commonly is at the level of subspecies , varieties or morphs , whereas some variation is too slight or inconsistent for formal recognition. For an example of subspecific variation, consider the East African lowland honey bee ( Apis mellifera scutellata )—best known for being hybridized with various European subspecies of

1769-426: Is referred to as morug and cooked as a staple green vegetable. In Greece, purple amaranth ( Amaranthus blitum ) is a popular dish called βλήτα , vlita or vleeta . It is boiled, then served with olive oil and lemon juice like a salad, sometimes alongside fried fish. Greeks stop harvesting the plant (which also grows wild) when it starts to bloom at the end of August. In Brazil, green amaranth was, and to

1830-508: Is some debate whether the true opposite of endemism is pandemism or cosmopolitanism. A related concept in biogeography is that of oceanic cosmopolitanism and endemism. Rather than allow ubiquitous travel, the World Ocean is complicated by physical obstacles such as temperature gradients. These prevent migration of tropical species between the Atlantic and Indian/Pacific oceans. Conversely,

1891-465: Is thought to have represented up to 80% of their energy consumption before the Spanish conquest . Another important use of amaranth throughout Mesoamerica was in ritual drinks and foods. To this day, amaranth grains are toasted much like popcorn and mixed with honey , molasses , or chocolate to make a treat called alegría , meaning "joy" in Spanish. While all species are believed to be native to

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1952-478: The Arctic Circle to Antarctica and every coastal and open-water region in-between. Such a taxon (usually a species ) is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution, or exhibit cosmopolitanism , as a species; another example, the rock dove (commonly referred to as a ' pigeon '), in addition to having been bred domestically for centuries, now occurs in most urban areas around the world. The extreme opposite of

2013-554: The Arctic tern occur from the Arctic to the Southern Ocean , but at any one season of the year they are likely to be largely in passage or concentrated at only one end of the range. Also, some such species breed only at one end of the range. Seen purely as an aspect of cosmopolitanism, such distributions could be seen as temporal, seasonal variations. Other complications of cosmopolitanism on

2074-578: The Miocene . All parts of the plant are considered edible, though some may have sharp spines that need to be removed before consumption. Amaranth is high in oxalates , but this may be partially offset by its high calcium content. Uncooked amaranth grain by weight is 12% water, 65% carbohydrates (including 7% dietary fiber ), 14% protein , and 7% fat (table). A 100-gram ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce) reference serving of uncooked amaranth grain provides 1,550 kilojoules (371 kilocalories) of food energy , and

2135-479: The western honey bee to create the so-called " African killer bee "—and the Cape bee , which is the subspecies Apis mellifera capensis ; both of them are in the same cosmopolitan species Apis mellifera , but their ranges barely overlap. Other cosmopolitan species, such as the house sparrow and osprey , present similar examples, but in yet other species there are less familiar complications: some migratory birds such as

2196-597: The Americas, several have been cultivated and introduced to warm regions worldwide. Amaranth's cosmopolitan distribution makes it one of many plants providing evidence of pre-Columbian oceanic contact . The earliest archeological evidence for amaranth in the Old World was found in an excavation in Narhan, India, dated to 1000–800 BCE. Because of its importance as a symbol of indigenous culture, its palatability, ease of cooking, and

2257-606: The Americas. Amaranth and its relative quinoa are considered pseudocereals because of their similarities to cereals in flavor and cooking. The spread of Amaranthus is of a joint effort of human expansion, adaptation, and fertilization strategies. Grain amaranth has been used for food by humans in several ways. The grain can be ground into a flour for use like other grain flours. It can be popped like popcorn, or flaked like oatmeal. Seeds of Amaranth grain have been found in Antofagasta de la Sierra Department , Catamarca , Argentina in

2318-588: The Greek word for "flower", ἄνθος ( ánthos ), factoring into the word's development as amaranth, the unfading flower . Amarant is an archaic variant. The name was first applied to the related Celosia ( Amaranthus and Celosia share long-lasting dried flowers), as Amaranthus plants were not yet known in Europe. Amaranth weed species have an extended period of germination, rapid growth, and high rates of seed production, and have been causing problems for farmers since

2379-589: The Himalayas. Members of this genus share many characteristics and uses with members of the closely related genus Celosia . Amaranth grain is collected from the genus. The leaves of some species are also eaten. Amaranthus comes from the name of this plant in Ancient Greek , Ancient Greek : ἀμάραντος , romanized :  amárantos , "amaranth, immortal", noun formed from the privative prefix Ancient Greek : ἀ- , romanized :  a- , "without", and

2440-550: The Northern marine regions and Southern Ocean are separated by the tropics , too warm for many species to traverse. Another aspect of cosmopolitanism is that of ecological limitations. A species that is apparently cosmopolitan because it occurs in all oceans might in fact occupy only littoral zones , or only particular ranges of depths, or only estuaries , for example. Analogously, terrestrial species might be present only in forests, or mountainous regions, or sandy arid regions or

2501-504: The addition of the subdivision Albersia because of its indehiscent fruits coupled with three elliptic to linear tepals to be exclusive characters to members of this subgenus. The classification of these groups are further supported with a combination of floral characters, reproductive strategies, geographic distribution, and molecular evidence. The phylogenies of Amaranthus using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analysis of nuclear and chloroplast genes suggest five clades within

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2562-680: The common ancestor of the three grain species. It has been proposed as an inexpensive native crop that could be cultivated by indigenous people in rural areas for several reasons: In the United States, the amaranth crop is mostly used for seed production. Most amaranth in American food products starts as a ground flour, blended with wheat or other flours to create cereals, crackers, cookies, bread or other baked products. Despite utilization studies showing that amaranth can be blended with other flours at levels above 50% without affecting functional properties or taste, most commercial products use amaranth only as

2623-448: The corolla or the outer edge of the stamens. It is often positioned where the corolla lobes arise from the corolla tube. There can be more than one corona in a flower. The milkweeds ( Asclepias spp.) have three very different coronas, which collectively form a flytrap pollination scheme. Some passionflowers ( Passiflora spp.) have as many as eight coronas arranged in concentric whorls. The pappus of Asteraceae , considered to be

2684-707: The cultivated grain species, however the later series of domestication to follow remains unclear. There has been opposing hypotheses of a single as opposed to multiple domestication events of the three grain species. There is evidence of phylogenetic and geographical support for clear groupings that indicate separate domestication events in South America and Central America. A. hybridus may derive from South America, whereas A. caudatus , A. hypochondriacus , and A. quentiensis are native to Central and North America. Species include: "Amaranth" derives from Greek ἀμάραντος ( amárantos ), "unfading", with

2745-439: The festivities for the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli . The Aztec month of Panquetzaliztli (7 December to 26 December) was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli . People decorated their homes and trees with paper flags; ritual races, processions, dances, songs, prayers, and finally human sacrifices were held. This was one of the more important Aztec festivals, and the people prepared for the whole month. They fasted or ate very little;

2806-666: The form of capsules referred to as a unilocular pixdio that opens at maturity. The top ( operculum ) of the unilocular pixdio releases the urn that contains the seed. Seeds are circular form from 1 to 1.5 millimeters in diameter and range in color with a shiny, smooth seed coat. The panicle is harvested 200 days after cultivation with approximately 1,000 to 3,000 seeds harvested per gram. Amaranth grain contains phytochemicals that are not defined as nutrients and may be antinutrient factors, such as polyphenols , saponins , tannins , and oxalates . These compounds are reduced in content and antinutrient effect by cooking. Amaranthus shows

2867-551: The genus. Flowers vary interspecifically from the presence of 3 or 5 tepals and stamens , whereas a 7- porate pollen grain structure remains consistent across the family. Species across the genus contain concentric rings of vascular bundles , and fix carbon efficiently with a C4 photosynthetic pathway. Leaves are approximately 6.5–15 centimetres ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 –6 inches) and of oval or elliptical shape that are either opposite or alternate across species, although most leaves are whole and simple with entire margins. Amaranth has

2928-516: The genus: Diecious / Pumilus, Hybris, Galapagos, Eurasian/ South African, Australian (ESA), ESA + South American. Amaranthus includes three recognised subgenera and 75 species, although species numbers are questionable due to hybridisation and species concepts. Infrageneric classification focuses on inflorescence, flower characters and whether a species is monoecious/dioecious, as in the Sauer (1955) suggested classification. Bracteole morphology present on

2989-430: The like. Such distributions might be patchy, or extended, but narrow. Factors of such a nature are taken widely for granted, so they seldom are mentioned explicitly in mentioning cosmopolitan distributions. Cosmopolitanism of a particular species or variety should not be confused with cosmopolitanism of higher taxa. For example, the family Myrmeleontidae is cosmopolitan in the sense that every continent except Antarctica

3050-588: The mid-1990s. This is partially due to the reduction in tillage , reduction in herbicidal use and the evolution of herbicidal resistance in several species where herbicides have been applied more often. The following 9 species of Amaranthus are considered invasive and noxious weeds in the U.S. and Canada: A. albus , A. blitoides , A. hybridus , A. palmeri , A. powellii , A. retroflexus , A. spinosus , A. tuberculatus , and A. viridis . A new herbicide-resistant strain of A. palmeri has appeared; it

3111-474: The modern world, the orca , the blue whale , and the great white shark all have cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the Earth's oceans . The wasp Copidosoma floridanum is another example, as it is found around the world. Other examples include humans , cats , dogs , the western honey bee , brown rats , the foliose lichen Parmelia sulcata , and the mollusc genus Mytilus . The term can also apply to some diseases. It may result from

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3172-517: The mourning of Achilles . John Milton 's Paradise Lost portrays a showy amaranth in the Garden of Eden , "remov'd from Heav'n" when it blossoms because the flowers "shade the fountain of life". He describes amaranth as "immortal" in reference to the flowers that generally do not wither and retain bright reddish tones of color, even when deceased; referred to in one species as " love-lies-bleeding ." Cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography ,

3233-770: The name of many plants (agapanthus, for example). Its denominations in the languages of the peoples cultivating it since ancient times in America are huauhtli in Nahuatl , kiwicha , ataĉo in Quechua , tez or xtes in Maya , ahparie in Purépecha , wa've in Huichol , and guegui in Tarahumara . Amaranth is a herbaceous plant or shrub that is either annual or perennial across

3294-589: The natural amaranth pigments known as betalains . This synthetic dye is also known as Red No. 2 in North America and E123 in the European Union. The genus also contains several well-known ornamental plants, such as Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding), a vigorous, hardy annual with dark purplish flowers crowded in handsome drooping spikes. Another Indian annual, A. hypochondriacus (prince's feather), has deeply veined, lance-shaped leaves, purple on

3355-403: The perianth is arranged in a spiral on nodes, rather than whorls. Flowers with spiral perianths tend to also be those with undifferentiated perianths. An additional structure in some plants (e.g. Narcissus , Passiflora (passion flower) , some Hippeastrum , Liliaceae ) is the corona (paraperigonium, paraperigon, or paracorolla), a ring or set of appendages of adaxial tissue arising from

3416-399: The perianth is in two whorls, it is described as biseriate . While the calyx may be green, known as sepaloid , it may also be brightly coloured, and is then described as petaloid . When the undifferentiated tepals resemble petals, they are also referred to as "petaloid", as in petaloid monocots or liliod monocots, orders of monocots with brightly coloured tepals. The corolla and petals have

3477-434: The proper identification of Amaranthus species at the seedling stage essential for agriculturalists. Proper weed control needs to be applied before the species successfully colonizes in the crop field and causes significant yield reductions. An evolutionary lineage of around 90 species within the genus has acquired the C 4 carbon fixation pathway, which increases their photosynthetic efficiency. This probably occurred in

3538-611: The southern Puna desert of the north of Argentina dating from 4,500 years ago, with evidence suggesting earlier use. Archeological evidence of seeds from A. hypochondriacus and A. cruentus found in a cave in Tehuacán , Mexico, suggests amaranth was part of Aztec civilization in the 1400s. Ancient amaranth grains still used include the three species Amaranthus caudatus , A. cruentus , and A. hypochondriacus . Evidence from single-nucleotide polymorphisms and chromosome structure supports A. hypochondriacus as

3599-412: The stem is used for taxonomic classification of Amaranth. Wild species have longer bracteoles compared to cultivated species. A modified infrageneric classification of Amaranthus includes three subgenera: Acnida , Amaranthus , and Albersia , with the taxonomy further differentiated by sections within each of the subgenera. There is near certainty that A. hypochondriacus is the common ancestor to

3660-503: The under face, and deep crimson flowers densely packed on erect spikes. Amaranths are recorded as food plants for some Lepidoptera ( butterfly and moth ) species including the nutmeg moth and various case-bearer moths of the genus Coleophora : C. amaranthella , C. enchorda (feeds exclusively on Amaranthus ), C. immortalis (feeds exclusively on Amaranthus ), C. lineapulvella , and C. versurella (recorded on A. spinosus ). Diego Durán described

3721-471: The verb Ancient Greek : μαραίνω , romanized :  maraínō , "to consume, to exhaust". Indeed, the amaranth has a reputation for not withering, with in particular its calice which remains persistent, and for this reason, represents a symbol of immortality . Some species are used in dry bouquets. The form amaranthus (with H), comes from an erroneous association with the Greek etymon anthos (lat. -anthus ) meaning ' flower ' , found in

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