California Amaranth

California Amaranth

Amaranthus californicus L.

Amaranthaceae, the Pigweed Family

▲ mature plant

▲ ▼ closer view of leaves, stems, flowers

▲ closer view of leaves

Amaranthus californicus L.; California Amaranth:

• Warm-season annual weed with prostrate growth habit with greenish white to pinkish stems
• Leaves shiny, dark-green, rounded-oval, with impressed veins, smooth margins, with pointed tips and often a spine at the tip; leaves sometimes somewhat thickened
• Inflorescences in axils of leaves, tiny, clustered, greenish to reddish
• Found in cultivated fields, disturbed soils, often along irrigation or drainage canals; not common in midwest

(Posted January 15, 2019)

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