Tropical Amaranth
Amaranthus polygonoides L.
Amaranthaceae, the Pigweed Family
▲ mature plant
▲▼flowering stems
▲ stem tip
▲ leaves, showing whitish watermark near leaftip
Amaranthus polygonoides
L.;
Tropical Amaranth:
·
Warm-season annual weed with upright to spreading growth habit with
branching in lower half of plant; stems usually green, not pinkish
·
Leaves alternate, medium to dark green, spoon to spatula-shaped, with
veins indented from upper surface; leaf margins smooth; leaf tips rounded to
round-pointed; sometimes lighter-colored, v-shaped watermark on upper surface of
leaf near widest part
·
Inflorescences in clusters in axils of leaves; individual flowers tiny,
greenish
·
Found in cultivated fields, disturbed soils, often along irrigation or
drainage canals; more common in southern midwest