Amaranthus mangostanus

Family: Amaranthaceae

What it is like

Amaranthus mangostanus is a ANNUAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). It is frost tender. It is in leaf from April to October, in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Waste land and roadsides in the Himalayas.

E. Asia - India

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Leaves - cooked as a spinach or eaten raw. Seed - cooked. A cereal substitute. Very small, about 1mm in diameter, but easy to harvest and very nutritious. The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this, but it is rather difficult to crush all of the small seeds in the mouth and thus some of the seed will pass right through the digestive system without being assimilated. The crisp interior of large stems makes a tasty cooked vegetable.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.

How it is grown

Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. Cultivated for its edible seed and leaves, there are many named varieties. It is an excellent hot weather substitute for spinach. There is some confusion over the correct name for this species with many botanists saying that it is no more than a synonym for A. tricolor. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions.

Propagating it: Seed - sow late spring in situ. An earlier sowing can be made in a greenhouse and the plants put out after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good if the soil is warm. A drop in temperature overnight aids germination. Cuttings of growing plants root easily.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Annual

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

A. inamoenus. Willd. A. tricolor. L. - correct name.