Amaranthus blitoides x albus     Amaranthaceae   Amaranth Family   A. albus is from trop. Am.    A. blitoides is native.   Amaranthus Hybrid

                                  August Photo

Plant Characteristics: (b) Stems decumbent, branched from base, glabrous, 1-5 dm. long; (b) lvs. many, the petioles 2-15 mm. long, the blades spatulate to obovate, 8-25 mm. long, deep green; (a & b) monoecious; (b) fls. in dense axillary clusters usually shorter than the petioles; (a) bracts subulate, green, rigid; (b) sepals 4-5, oblong, acute or acuminate, 2-3 mm. long; (a) stamens 3, (b) stamens 3; (a) utricle rugose, exceeding calyx; (a) seeds round, dark red-brown, shining, 0.8 mm. in diam.  (I have inserted in parenthesis, an (a) or (b) to indicate which characteristics belong to A. albus and which to A. blitoides).  There is a conflict between Abrams and Munz as to the color of the leaves of A. blitoides, I have used the deep green color described in Abrams.  (my comments).

Habitat:  A. albus, Common weed in cult. and waste places through much of N. Am. below 2200 M. May-Oct.  A. blitoides, occasional  native weed in waste and cult. places below 1500 m.; many Plant Communities; widely scattered in Calif.; to Wash., Rocky Mts., Mex. May-Nov.

Name:  See A. albus for the origin of that name.  Blitoides, like Blitum, probably a genus name that included two species in the Chenopodiaceae, Blitum californicum, (now Chenopodium californicum) and Monolepis nuttallianum.  Amaranthus blitoides may have a growth habit resembling the Blitum species.  (John Johnson).

General:  Uncommon in the study area.  Found once, in 1988, along the horse and bike path in the Santa Ana Heights area.  Found twice in 1990 on the banks above the freshwater stream at 23rd St. (my comments).      Amaranthus species have been known to cause hay fever and asthma.  (Fuller 378).      About 50 species, widespread except in cold regions.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 60).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. II 99; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 61.

Photo Ref: July-Aug 87 #24,24A.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

First Found:  August 1987.

Computer Ref: Plant Data 299.

Plant specimen given to UC Riverside in 2004.

Last edit 6/12/05.

                                            August Photo