Amaranthus viridis L.

Spice In the field 1 In the field 2

Family: AMARANTHACEAE

Genus: Amaranthus

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): South Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Path and road sides, disturbed zones.

Characteristics: A herb reaching over half a metre in height which has more or less triangular leaves without hairs or with very lax pilosity. It produces long, narrow inflorescences which protrude from the plant. It can be differentiated from Amaranthus retroflexus, which is very similar, because of the lack of pilosity and, above all, because the inflorescences do not have sharp bractlets (the bracts are very small) and are much narrower, often taking reddish colours. It lives in very disturbed terrains, often accompanied by other species of Amaranthus, and also Chenopodium, Urtica, and other genuses typical of these not very pleasant habitats. It flowers at the end of summer and in autumn. It is a plant which has been introduced in our flora.