Amaranthus tricolor

Amaranthus tricolor
Amaranthus tricolor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core 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 melancholicus L.[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 is an ornamental plant known as tampala, tandaljo or tandalja bhaji in India,^[3] callaloo in the Caribbean and Joseph's coat after the Biblical figure Joseph, who is said to have worn a coat of many colors. Although it is native to South America, many varieties of amaranth can be found across the world in a myriad of different climates due to it being a C4 carbon fixation plant, which allows it to convert carbon dioxide into biomass at an extremely efficient rate when compared to other plants. Cultivars have striking yellow, red and green foliage.

The leaves may be eaten as a salad vegetable as well as the stems. In Africa, it is usually cooked as a leafy vegetable.^[4] It is usually steamed as a side dish in both China and Japan.

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

Amaranthus gangeticus

Amaranthus gangeticus is considered a synonym of A. tricolor,^[5] but has been recognized as a separate species in the past. Amaranthus gangeticus is also known as elephant-head amaranth. It is an annual flowering plant with deep purple flowers. It can grow from 2–3 feet in height. In Bangladesh, it has been used as a leafy vegetable. Scientific study suggests that it may inhibit calcium retention.^[6]

References

1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
2. John H. Wiersema (2003-02-04). "Amaranthus melancholicus information from NPGS/GRIN". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
3. Michel H. Porcher. "Sorting Amaranthus names".
4. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.
5. "Amaranthus gangeticus L.". The Plant List. 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
6. 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.

External links

• PROTAbase on Amaranthus tricolor
• Amaranthus tricolor at the Encyclopedia of Life
• Amaranthus tricolor L. Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) (traditional Chinese) (English)