Amarant

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Amarant (Amaranthus), also called foxtail, also spelled amaranth, is a plant genus within the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae). The 60 to 98 species are distributed almost worldwide.

In particular, the fine-grained seeds of the garden foxtail (Amaranthus caudatus), reminiscent of millet, are used today under the name Kiwicha (pronunciation: Kiwitscha). The Aztecs called him huautli. Unlike the real grains, which are single-germ leaves, the genus Amaranthus belongs to the two-germ leave plants.

Description

Botanical characteristics
Amaranthus species are mostly annual, rarely perennial, herbal plants. The stems are usually branched. The alternately arranged foliage leaves are divided into leaf stem and leaf spread.

General characteristics
The inflorescences are usually very multiflorous.
The flowers are always one-gendered. The plants are either (in the subgenuses Amaranthus and Albersia) monoecious separated (monecious) or (in the subgenus Acnida) biecious separated (dioecious). In the case of female flowers, coat leaves may be missing, or there are one to five and a stamp. In the case of male flowers, there are three to five coat leaves and three to five stamens.

Occurrence

Worldwide presence
The genus Amaranthus comprises 60 to 98 species, which are found on all continents except Antarctica. Amaranthus species are common in the warmer zones of the earth, mostly in dry steppe areas, wasteland and cultivated land. The greatest biodiversity is found in the New World; In North America alone, there are about 38 species.

European Presence

In southern Europe, only Amaranthus graecizans and Amaranthus blitum subsp. Oleraceus.

Some Amaranthus species are crop companion plants. Almost all species found in Europe have been introduced in the last two centuries, especially from the New World. The species found in Europe love warm and nutrient-rich soils. Since they require higher temperatures to germinate, they are mainly found in late-cultivated crops such as vegetables, maize, beets, potatoes in vineyards and the like. With the expansion of maize cultivation to Central and Northern Europe, the Amarant species are also spreading as weeds.

Species found in Central Europe now include: White Amarant, White foxtail (Amaranthus albus), Lower Amarant, West American foxtail (Amaranthus blitoides), Bouchons Amarant (Amaranthus crispus), Krauser Amarant (Amaranthus deflexus), Greek Amarant (Amaranthus graecizans), Spread Amarant (Amaranthus hybridus), Green-eared Amarant (Amaranthus powellii), Back-bent Amarant (Amaranthus retroflexus), Standleys Amarant (Amaranthus standleyanus).

Systematic classification