Amaranthus tricolor L.
Family
Amaranthaceae
Synonyms
Amarannthus tristis L., Amaranthus mangostanus L., Amaranthus gangeticus L.
Vernacular Names
|
Malaysia |
Bayam. |
|
English |
Amaranth. |
|
Indonesia |
Bayam. |
|
Papua New Guinea |
Aopa. |
|
Philippines |
Kulitis. |
|
Cambodia |
Phtii. |
|
Laos |
Hôm. |
|
Thailand |
Phakkhom-suan. |
|
Vietnam |
Rau d[eef]n. |
|
French |
Amarante. |
Geographical Distributions
This genus is widely distributed. Amaranthus tricolor originated from Southeast Asia but has been carried to other regions by emigrants. By far, the most important species in Southeast Asia is A. tricolor, followed by A. dubius and A. cruentus.
Description
Amaranthus tricolor is an erect, annual herb which can grow up to 1.5 m tall.
The leaves are elliptical to lance-shaped or broad-ovate, dark green, light green or red.
Clusters of flowers are axillary, often spherical or slightly spherical, and with a reduced terminal spike, but occasionally the terminal spike is well-developed. There are 3 tepals.
The fruit is dehiscent with a dehiscing lid.
The seeds are black and relatively large with about 1200-2900 seeds/g.
Ecology / Cultivation
Like maize and sugar cane, Amaranthus tricolor is characterised by the C4-cycle photosynthetic pathway, which exhibits high photosynthesis at high temperature and radiation. It grows well at day temperatures above 25°C and night temperatures not lower than 15°C. In Indonesia, the temperature is too low above 800 m for A. tricolor which causes growth retardation. Shade is disadvantageous except in cases of drought stress. A. triclor is a quantitative short-day plant, which is an advantage in the subtropics where the generative stage is retarded during summer. Due to rapid growth, water consumption is high. A crop normally uses about 6 mm/day. A. triclor prefers fertile, well-drained soils with a loose structure. The mineral uptake is very high.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
-
Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.8: Vegetables.
